Goa, Sept. 2 -- A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday, claiming over 800 lives and injuring approximately 2,700, leaving many survivors to spend Monday night in the open while rescue teams worked tirelessly to pull victims from the rubble.

The quake, which flattened villages in Kunar province near the Pakistan border, proved especially deadly in Afghanistan, where many communities live in poorly constructed homes. Well-designed buildings typically withstand such tremors with minimal damage, but the country's vulnerable infrastructure exacerbated the disaster.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake's epicenter was located about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Jal...