A moderate but destructive 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Afghanistan late Friday, claiming at least 12 lives and injuring four others, with the capital Kabul and surrounding districts among the hardest hit. The tremor, centered in the seismically active Hindu Kush region, sent shockwaves through vulnerable communities already battered by recent heavy rains and natural disasters.

In the Gosfand Dara area of Bagrami District on the outskirts of Kabul, the quake delivered a devastating blow to one family that had only recently returned from Iran and was trying to rebuild a new life. Najibullah, the head of a household of nine, had erected a temporary tent beside a modest four-walled compound while gathering materials for a more permanent shelter. In a heartbreaking instant, the collapsing walls and debris crushed his dreams along with most of his family.

Rescue workers and neighbors labored for hours under the rubble. The father, mother, and six children ranging in age from 14 to 4 were all killed. A two-year-old toddler was discovered unconscious but still breathing beneath a mattress and was rushed to a hospital in Kabul for treatment. According to CNTN, the recent rains and successive natural disasters have inflicted heavy casualties and economic damage across several regions of Afghanistan

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