KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An earthquake destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, killed at least 620 people and injured more than 1,300, a spokesman for the Taliban government said Monday.

The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit a series of towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangahar province, causing extensive damage.

The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers (5 miles) 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 hou

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