On September 1, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province, claiming 812 lives and leaving hundreds more injured. Steep ridges and narrow valleys turned entire villages into rubble, cutting off roads and complicating ground relief efforts.
CGTN Stringer’s exclusive footage shows a lifeline descending from the sky: helicopters laden with emergency supplies swooping over the mountainous terrain. Below, residents gathered outside Asadabad Provincial Hospital, their faces streaked with dust and hope, waiting to receive the injured.
Inside the hospital’s makeshift triage, medics work around the clock—bandaging wounds, stabilizing patients, and bracing for more arrivals. With roads blocked by landslides, airborne aid has been pivotal. Each helicopter drop delivers food, water, medical kits, and blankets to communities otherwise out of reach.
Data underlines the urgency: in regions where terrain limits road access, airborne rescue cuts transit times from days to hours. For Kunar’s dispersed mountain settlements, this can mean the difference between life and death.
As the sun sets behind the Hindu Kush peaks, rescue teams and volunteers press on. Their mission extends beyond immediate relief: coordinating shelter, tracing missing persons, and laying the groundwork for long-term recovery. In this moment of crisis, every rotor blade that turns brings a surge of hope to a province in urgent need.
Stay tuned for updates as aid continues to arrive and communities begin the long road to recovery.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
