New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- As many as 800 people died and over 2,500 were injured in eastern Afghanistan after a massive earthquake of 6.3 magnitude rattled the country and neighbouring Pakistan out of their sleep in the early hours of Monday. Rescuers continue digging through the rubble to save those buried beneath shattered homes, but with each passing hour, hopes of finding survivors are fading.

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan just before midnight Sunday, with the worst of the destruction in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan. Around 800 are dead in just Kunar province. Hundreds are recovering in nearby hospitals.

The Afghanistan earthquake epicentre was about 27 kilometres from Jalalabad. The USGS said the earthquake ...