Guo Jiakun

China is closely following the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar, and will do what it can to provide help in light of Afghanistan's needs, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the China Foreign Ministry, at a press conference on Monday.

Guo's words were made in response to inquiries asking about comments on reports that an earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, causing heavy casualties and property loss and whether China will offer assistance to Afghanistan.

According to a geological survey, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan at 11:47 pm on Sunday (Monday at 3:17 am Beijing time), with the epicenter located 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, and a focal depth of 8 kilometers. 

The affected area is primarily in Kunar Province, with significant tremors felt in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. Approximately 20 minutes after the initial earthquake, a 4.5-magnitude aftershock occurred in the same region, media reports said.

There was a second earthquake in the same province about 20 minutes later, with a magnitude of 4.5 and a depth of 10 kilometers. 

"China is closely following the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar. We mourn for the lives lost in the earthquake in Afghanistan and our hearts go out to the bereaved families and the injured," Guo noted.

"We believe that under the leadership of the Afghan government, the Afghan people will recover and rebuild from the disaster. China will do what it can to provide help in light of Afghanistan's needs," said the spokesperson.

The death toll from the powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has climbed to 812, with more than 2,817 others injured, said a spokesperson for the Afghan interim government on Monday.

The spokesperson also indicated that the casualty figures are subject to change.

Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes, particularly in the mountainous areas near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. In October 2023, multiple earthquakes over 6 magnitude struck northwestern Afghanistan, resulting in thousands of casualties, Xinhua reported.