Afghans Dig Rubble After Quake Kills 800

Rescue efforts intensify after 6.0 quake hits, injuring over 2,500 across eastern Afghanistan

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DESPERATE Afghans clawed through rubble in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided on Monday by the Taliban government.

The 6.0 magnitude quake on late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.

The quake at 11.47pm was centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad, the US Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed. Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.