A powerful earthquake has killed at least 920 people and injured hundreds in Afghanistan, Taliban officials said. Images showed landslides and destruction of earthen houses in eastern Paktika province, as rescuers have been scrambling to treat the wounded. In remote areas, helicopters have been taking victims to hospitals.

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said hundreds of homes were destroyed, and the death toll could rise.
At least 920 people were killed and another 600 injured in Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in two decades, his deputy disaster management minister, Sharafuddin Muslim, told a news conference.

It struck shortly after 01:30 local time (21:00 GMT on Tuesday), about 44 km (27 miles) from the southeastern city of Khost when many people were sleeping at home.

Earthquakes cause significant damage in Afghanistan, where houses are unstable or poorly constructed in many rural areas.

Another local journalist in the area told the BBC the death toll could rise further due to damaged cell towers and communication difficulties following the earthquake.