The joint virtual reconnaissane report has been compiled by EEFIT, Association Française du génie Parasismique (AFPS), NED University of Engineering & Technology, and RedR.
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the Nangarhar–Kunar provincial border on 31 August 2025, causing severe shaking due to its shallow 8 km depth. The event led to major loss of life, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, and significant disruption to essential services.
The worst‑affected districts were Nurgal, Chawkay, and Dara‑e‑Nur, where steep mountainous terrain, vulnerable construction practices, and restricted access routes intensified the impacts.
A remote assessment, combining satellite imagery, humanitarian reports, media, and technical data, was used to understand the distribution of damage and contributing vulnerabilities. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) coherence analysis provided rapid, broad-scale identification of damaged areas and aligned closely with findings from field assessments. This convergence demonstrates the importance of satellite-based damage estimation, particularly in cloud‑prone, remote, and difficult-to-access mountainous regions.
The report covers:
- Characterisation of the events
- Initial response and relief operations
- Geotechnical failures
- The built environment
- Infrastructure performance
- Lessons learned