Guwahati, Sept. 2 -- The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday has surpassed 1,400, with more than 3,000 injured, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reported on social platform X on Tuesday.

Rescue teams are racing against time to reach remote, mountainous areas flattened by the 6.0 magnitude quake.

The disaster has caused extensive damage across multiple provinces, destroying villages and trapping residents under the rubble of homes built mostly from mud bricks and wood, which could not withstand the tremor.

The region's rugged terrain has hampered relief operations, prompting Taliban authorities to deploy dozens of commandos to evacuate injured people from areas inaccessible to h...