, Sept. 1 -- A powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has killed more than 610 people and flattened numerous villages, a Taliban government spokesman said Monday.

The magnitude 6.0 quake struck late Sunday in several towns in Kunar province, close to Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar, causing widespread destruction.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the tremor hit at 11:47 p.m. and was centered about 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, at a depth of just 8 kilometers (5 miles). Shallow quakes generally inflict greater damage.

Video from Nangarhar showed residents desperately digging through debris with their bare hands in search of relatives, while the injured were pulled from collapsed structures and airl...