Over 500 people have been confirmed dead and at least 1,000 injured after last night's 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan.
The wave hit a series of towns at 11.47pm in the province of Kunar near the Pakistan border centred 17 miles northeast of the city of Jalabad in Nangarhar.
Hundreds have been killed and injured in the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapadare.
Taliban-led health authorities in Kabul, however, said they were still confirming the official toll figure as they worked to reach remote areas.
Jalalabad is a bustling trade city due to its proximity with neighboring Pakistan and a key border crossing between the countries.
Although it has a population of about 300,000 according to the municipality, it's metropolitan area is thought to be far larger.
Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, and its outlying areas include homes built of mud bricks and wood. Many are of poor construction.
Jalalabad also has considerable agriculture and farming, including citrus fruit and rice, with the Kabul River flowing through the city.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake previously struck Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished.
The U.N. gave a lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
Tremors began in the middle of the night local time, close to the border with Pakistan - leaving scenes of devastation in their wake.
The quake reportedly shook buildings from Kabul to Pakistan's capital Islamabad around 220miles away for several seconds.
The epicentre of the quake, which struck at a relatively shallow depth of eight kilometres, was located 27 kilometres east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
A thick layer of ash gathers in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which has so far killed over 500 and left at least 1,000 people injured
There was a second quake some 20 minutes later in the same province, with a magnitude of 4.5 and a depth of six miles.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Nangarhar province was also hit by flooding overnight Friday to Saturday, which left five people dead and destroyed crops and property, authorities said.
Naqibullah Rahimi, a spokesman for the Nangarhar Public Health Department, said 15 people were injured and taken to the local hospital for treatment.