An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck eastern Afghanistan early on Wednesday, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake that left hundreds dead.

The earthquake struck about 44 kilometres away from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan, at a depth of 51 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

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“A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe,” Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter.

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According to the Associated Press, at least 1,000 people were killed by the earthquake, which, as per the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), was felt over 500 kilometres by about 119 million people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Meanwhile, an estimated 1,500 are reported to have been injured in the quake.

However, casualty counts are likely to be revised as search and rescue operations are underway in the affected regions.

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The Guardian, citing Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, the head of the Taliban administration’s disaster management authority, further reported that the majority of the confirmed deaths in Afghanistan took place in the province of Paktika, while some deaths took place in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Khost.

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Pakistan‘s meteorological department, meanwhile, confirmed that strong tremors had been felt in parts of the country, including the capital Islamabad. However, no deaths had been reported in either Pakistan or India at the time of writing this, something that may change as more information emerges.