Our team was present in Mandata to capture these devastating images in the aftermath of Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake since 1998.

On June 22, at 01:24 local time, eastern Afghanistan was struck by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was located about 28.5 miles southwest of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, with the impact most felt in Khost and Patkika provinces.

The disaster is believed to have killed at least 1193 people, injured around 3000 and destroyed, or heavily damaged, 10,000 homes. This makes it the deadliest quake in the country in over 20 years, with the last of this magnitude happening in 1998.

Afghanistan is relatively prone to earthquakes, with similar disasters having claimed the lives of 7000 Afghans in the past decade, averaging 560 deaths per year.

The video below is an insight into how our team in the newsroom validated the footage we received in the aftermath of this devastating natural disaster.