The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked western Afghanistan has risen to more than 2,000, a Taliban government spokesman said Sunday.
It was one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the country in two decades.
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake followed by strong aftershocks killed dozens of people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, the country’s disaster authorities said.
But Abdul Wahid Rayan, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, said the death toll from the earthquake in Herat was higher than originally reported.
About six villages have been destroyed, and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the rubble, he said, calling for immediate help.
The United Nations late on Saturday gave an initial figure of 320 dead, but later said the figure was still being verified.
Local authorities gave an estimate of 100 people killed and 500 injured, according to the same update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The update said 465 homes had been reported destroyed and another 135 damaged.
About six villages have been destroyed, and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris, he said, calling for immediate help.STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“Partners and local authorities expect the death toll to rise as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings,” the UN said.
Disaster authority spokesman Mohammad Abdullah Jan said four villages in Zenda Jan district in Herat province bore the brunt of the earthquake and aftershocks.
The United States Geological Survey said the epicenter was about 25 miles northwest of the city of Herat. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks, measuring 6.3 magnitude, 5.9 and 5.5, as well as smaller shocks.
At least five strong tremors hit the city around noon, Herat resident Abdul Shakor Samadi said.
“Everyone came out of their houses,” said Samadi. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our house, I felt the earthquake.” His family started screaming and running outside, afraid to go back inside the house.
The World Health Organization in Afghanistan said it had sent 12 ambulances to Zenda Jan to transport victims to hospital.
“As deaths & deaths from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting with the treatment of the injured & assessing additional needs,” the UN agency said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “WHO-supported ambulances are transporting those affected, mostly women and children.”
Telephone connections were down in Herat, making it difficult to get details from the affected areas. Videos on social media showed hundreds of people on the streets outside their homes and offices in the city of Herat.
Herat province borders Iran. The earthquake was also felt in Farah and Badghis provinces in nearby Afghanistan, according to local media reports.
At least five strong tremors hit the city around noon, Herat resident Abdul Shakor Samadi said.ZUMAPRESS.com
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expressed his condolences to the victims who were killed and injured in Herat and Badghis.
The Taliban urged local organizations to reach the quake-hit areas as soon as possible to help take the injured to hospitals, provide shelter for the homeless, and deliver food to survivors.
They said security agencies should use all their resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under the debris.
“We ask our wealthy countrymen to provide any possible cooperation and assistance to our suffering brothers,” the Taliban said in X.
The Taliban urged local organizations to reach the quake-hit areas as soon as possible to help take the injured to hospitals, provide shelter for the homeless and deliver food to survivors.STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Takashi Okada, expressed his condolences on the social media platform X, that he was “deeply saddened and saddened to learn the news of the earthquake in Herat province.”
In June 2022, a powerful earthquake hit the rugged and mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flat stone and mud brick houses. The earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and injured about 1,500.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
