Afghanistan earthquake: Death toll rises to over 800

The death toll in the Afghanistan earthquake has increased to over 800 while more than 1,500 have sustained injuries, according to Taliban officials.

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Initial reports placed the number of dead at around 250 and over 500 have been injured in Afghanistan after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country, news agencies quoted Taliban officials as having said.

The earthquake struck 17 miles from the city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan around midnight local time (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday), according to the US Geological Survey.

Because the earthquake hit a remote mountainous area, “it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry.