The death toll from last week’s devastating earthquake in Afghanistan has climbed above 2,200 after hundreds of bodies were pulled from destroyed homes, a Taliban spokesperson said Thursday.
A 6.0 magnitude quake struck several provinces of the mountainous and remote east Sunday night, leveling villages and trapping people under rubble.
The majority of casualties have been in Kunar, where many live in steep river valleys separated by high mountains.
Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, who provided the updated casualty figure of 2,205, said rescue and search efforts were continuing. "Tents have been set up for people, and the delivery of first aid and emergency supplies is ongoing.”
The rough terrain is hindering relief efforts. Taliban authorities have deployed helicopters and airdropped army commandos to help survivors. Aid workers have reported walking for hours to reach villages cut off by landslides and rockfall.
