India Sends 21 Tonnes of Relief Aid to Quake-Hit Afghanistan

India has dispatched 21 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan after a devastating earthquake claimed more than 1,400 lives on Sunday night.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed on X that the consignment had reached Kabul on Tuesday, adding, “Indian earthquake assistance reaches Kabul by air.”

The relief shipment contained essential supplies, including blankets, tents, hygiene kits, water tanks, generators, and medicines. The minister further assured that India would continue to monitor the crisis and provide additional aid in the coming days.

The 6.0-magnitude quake left over 3,000 injured, with the highest number of casualties reported from Kunar province. On Monday, India had already sent food supplies, with the Ministry of External Affairs releasing images of aid trucks.

According to reports, the initial tremor, measured at 6.3 on the Richter scale, was followed by multiple aftershocks. The epicentre was located in Nangarhar Province’s Kama district, close to the Pakistan border. Entire villages collapsed, as most homes were made of mud and wood, leaving many trapped under rubble.

Rescue operations have been hindered by the difficult terrain, prompting Taliban authorities to deploy commandos via airdrop in areas where helicopters could not land.

Adding to the crisis, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, close to the epicentre of Sunday’s disaster, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The tremor was centred 34 kilometres northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that nearly 12,000 people across four provinces have been directly impacted by the series of earthquakes.

Also Read: Over 800 Dead in Afghanistan Earthquake; India Sends Relief Supplies