BBC Learning English News

2025-09-03 Earthquakes hit Afghanistan – Learning English from the News

The story

A major aftershock has hit eastern Afghanistan, just days after an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit the region.

More than 1,400 people have been killed and 3,000 more injured, according to the Taliban government.

The region is difficult to access because it is mountainous, and rescuers have been searching for people trapped under mud and stone homes in the area. Entire villages have been destroyed.

News headlines

Second Afghan quake brings more trauma to the shattered region
SBS Australia

Aid effort underway after Afghanistan quake ‘wipes out’ villages
UN News

Earthquake adds to ‘perfect storm’ of problems hitting Afghanistan, says UN
Sky News

Key words and phrases

shattered
badly damaged

  • The country was shattered after 10 years of civil war.

underway
describes something that has started

  • Changes to the school’s management are underway. New staff are being recruited now.

a perfect storm
a situation, usually negative, that happens because of a combination of circumstances

  • The minister for agriculture said high food prices are being caused by a perfect storm of population growth and bad weather.

BBC Learning English

Recent Posts

2025-09-17 Israel committing genocide in Gaza: UN commission – Learning English from the News

The story An investigation by the United Nations, called a 'commission of inquiry', has found…

1 week ago

2025-08-27 Heatwaves speed up ageing process, study says – Learning English from the News

The story A study in Taiwan has found that peoples' biological age increases when they…

1 week ago

2025-08-20 Ukraine: Presidents discuss end to war – Learning English from the News

The story Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House on Monday to meet…

1 week ago

2025-08-13 Is prostate cancer over-treated? – Learning English from the News

The story The charity Prostate Cancer UK, says that the UK is treating too many…

1 week ago

2025-08-06 Hiroshima: 80 years since atomic bomb – Learning English from the News

The story 80 years ago, on 6th August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic…

1 week ago