A massive rescue operation launched; More than 600 people are already dead

According to reports, at least a thousand people were injured.

"We launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to help those in the earthquake-affected area," said Sharafat Zaman, spokesman for Afghanistan's public health ministry, according to NBC.

According to him, it will take time to get accurate data on the number of victims and the level of infrastructure damage, bearing in mind that the earthquake hit a mountainous area.

The epicenter of the earthquake that hit Afghanistan last night not far from the city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan was at a depth of ten kilometers.

That area is prone to frequent earthquakes, Reuters reminds and adds that last year alone, more than a thousand people lost their lives there in a series of earthquakes.