KABUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Standing on a hilltop and gazing at his earthquake-ravaged village, Rohullah whispered in grief that all his family members and relatives perished in the devastating earthquake late Sunday night.

"About 60 to 70 of our relatives, including the families of my uncles, were killed in the earthquake," the horror-struck man said.

The powerful 6.0-magnitude quake, among the strongest in Afghanistan in recent history, struck parts of eastern Kunar province late Sunday, leaving more than 1,400 dead and over 3,200 injured. The rugged terrain has made rescue operations and the delivery of aid extremely challenging.

"It was terrifying to see children, women and the elderly all gone. No one was left alive," said Rohullah, who happened to be outside the village when the quake struck and returned hours later to find his hometown destroyed.

Recalling the intensity of the tremor, the saddened man said, "It felt like the mountains leaping into the sky and crashing back onto the earth," stressing that the survivors are in urgent need of assistance.

An eyewitness who reached the area 16 hours after the quake, and requested anonymity, confirmed the hardships, "Many affected families were left without food and water," though the Afghan interim government, aid agencies and local residents have been providing support.

"I call on all well-off Afghans and businessmen to step forward in this critical stage and help the affected families in Kunar, where children, women, and the elderly are living in the open without tents or basic necessities," quake survivor Zahidullah told Xinhua.

He urged the Afghan interim government to intensify rescue operations, recover bodies from the rubble and provide shelter to the homeless.

"Virtually, it was a disaster. Hundreds of lives have been taken, and many more have been injured. Some areas have yet to receive any help due to the difficult terrain and lack of roads," another survivor, Ahmad Waris Nabizada, said.

"I urge businesspeople and charity organizations to extend a helping hand and support the needy in these conditions," Nabizada added.

Nabizada also said that some areas are still in need of rescue operations to recover the dead and injured bodies, calling on the Afghan authorities to send helicopters to transport the affected to safe places and provide shelter to the families.

"It was a terrifying night. We were asleep when a horrific bang jolted us awake. We rushed outside and saw all the houses in the village destroyed. People were desperately trying to pull the dead and injured from the debris," recalled Mohammadzada, who lost eight family members.

"Within minutes, everything changed. Children, women and everything were buried. In the morning, rescue operations began. The dead and injured were pulled out, and helicopters transported the victims. I woke up in the hospital," said Shahidullah, who is receiving treatment in Asadabad, the provincial capital of Kunar.

Shahidullah added that the quake-affected people are in need of assistance, including foodstuffs and medical treatments.

Afghanistan has suffered several deadly earthquakes in recent years: in 2022 in eastern Paktika, which killed hundreds; in 2023 in western Herat, which claimed more than 1,000 lives; and now in Kunar and other eastern provinces, which caused severe casualties and destruction. ■