Kabul | An earthquake in Afghanistan's east has killed at least 610 people and injured 1,300, a spokesman for the Taliban government said Monday.

The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighbouring Nangarhar province, destroying numerous villages and causing extensive damage.

It struck at 11:47 pm and was just 8 kilometres deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani confirmed the casualty figures to the Associated Press, saying the late-night quake killed 610 people and injured 1,300 in Kunar. Many houses were destroyed.

In Nangarhar, a dozen people died and hundreds were injured, said Qani