More than 800 people have died after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday

• More than 800 people have died after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, the UN's humanitarian agency says, citing preliminary reports

• Hot meals and blankets are being prepared by the UN, its lead coordinator in Afghanistan has told the BBC

• The earthquake struck the remote and mountainous Kunar province - blocked roads mean rescue operations are difficult and need to be carried out by air, with helicopters trying to reach affected areas

• The death toll could rise significantly as many are still feared to be trapped under the rubble, while officials report entire villages being destroyed

• The Taliban has called for international aid, with the UK pledging £1m in relief funding, stressing that the money will not go into the Taliban's hands

• The quake struck at a shallow depth of 8km (5mi) - which can be more destructive - and shook buildings from Kabul to Pakistan's capital Islamabad

The earthquake in eastern Afghanistan is a heartbreaking tragedy. More than 800 people have died, thousands are injured, and many families have lost their homes. Entire villages have been flattened because most houses are built with mud and stone, which cannot withstand strong shaking.

This disaster also comes at a very difficult time: international aid to Afghanistan has been cut sharply, so there are not enough resources—like food, tents, medical supplies, and rescue equipment. That makes it harder to help survivors quickly.

If you want to speak about it publicly (in a school, church, community group, or even online), you could say something like:

Express sympathy: “Our hearts are with the people of Afghanistan, especially the families who have lost loved ones in this devastating earthquake.

6 hours ago

Afghan Service correspondent, Heading for quake-hit areas 

EPA An injured victim wearing a burgundy dress, lying down in a hospital bed, with a drip in their right arm, the head bandaged, and the face showing injuries PA

Hospitals - already under strain - are reported to be overwhelmed

More than 800 people have been killed - and nearly 3,000 injured - after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday, the United Nations' humanitarian agency has said.

Most of the deaths occurred in Kunar province, officials say, warning that the death toll may rise significantly as entire villages have been destroyed.

The epicenter was in a remote mountainous area, making it difficult for rescue operations to be carried out. "The scale of devastation is unimaginable," a Taliban official said.

The disaster comes as Afghanistan reels from a severe drought, aid cuts and what the World Food Programmed describes as an unprecedented hunger crisis.

1:06

Helicopters are a 'key lifeline' for those trapped in rubble reports our South Asia and Afghanistan correspondent

The earthquake hit at 23:47 local time (19:47 GMT) on Sunday, some 27km (17 miles) east of Jalalabad - the country's fifth-largest city, in eastern Nangarhar province.

Farid Ullah Fazli was fast asleep at home in Saidabad, on the banks of the Kunar River, and the tremor jolted him awake.

"There was a very strong earthquake, accompanied by sounds that were very scary," he told the BBC.

"We didn't sleep until morning. After the earthquake, there were small tremors, and there are still."

Fazli said he went to the clinic in town, helping transport the dead and wounded into ambulances to be taken to a hospital further south in Nangarhar province.

"It was a very scary situation, just an atmosphere of fear and terror," Fazli said.

A resident of Mazar Dara, in the Nurgal region, said 95% of the village had been destroyed - with five to 10 injured people in every household.

EPA Damaged buildings with a mountain in the background 

Homes in area are built with mud bricks as well as being close together

The worst damage was in Kunar - a rugged, mountainous region with limited farmland.

Roads in the area are often mud tracks winding around mountains - while homes are made of clay, stones and mud.

The region has also seen massive flooding and landslides in the past few days, blocking access to many areas. With roads blocked, rescue operations can only be carried out by air, and teams were unable to reach the area until the morning as helicopters could not land in the mountains at night.

However, more than 100 flights have since been conducted in clear weather since.

"Entire villages are flattened, roads to deep mountainous areas are still closed. So now, for us, the priority is not finding dead under the rubble, but rather reaching out to those injured," a Taliban official in Kunar province said.

"Most of the dead are under rubble. We are doing everything, but it doesn't seem possible soon," he said. There are cases of people trapped under the rubble for hours and reportedly dying as they awaited rescuers. Syed Raheem - one of those taking part in rescue efforts - said that even though many had been saved, there were fears others were still trapped. "Some people sent us messages that there are houses that are destroyed, and some people are still under the rocks," he told the BBC.