Death toll rises to 2,000 after two powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquakes jolt Afghanistan

The death toll from the deadly earthquake that struck the western Afghanistan has risen to 2,000,  a Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press on Sunday. As the war battered country was jolted by one of the deadliest earthquakes that occurred in nearly two decades, dozens of homes were destroyed, and an estimated 1000 people were hurt, the national disaster authority said.

A Ministry of Information and Culture spokesman, Abdul Wahid Rayan, said that the toll is expected to rise as the search and rescue operation is ongoing. As many as six villages were completely destroyed, and hundreds of civilians were trapped under the debris. Meanwhile, the Taliban called for urgent humanitarian help to avert the aftermath of the crisis.

The death toll from the earthquake in Herat is many times higher than media reports. About six villages have been destroyed, and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris. Relief and aid operations are urgently needed.#Herat #Afghanistan #EarthQuake pic.twitter.com/R9h6c6RrhP

— Khalid Zadran (@khalidzadran01)

A horrifying #Earthquake in Afghanistan’s Herat province destroyed this village completely.#Taliban #Palestine #Israel #Israel_under_attack #AfghanistanEarthquake pic.twitter.com/a1qpJVmenu

— Angry (@angryopinionatd)

#Earthquake have hit hard to #Afghanistan , Death toll have Raised to 1000 people.
This 🌎 is changing, someone is going to come... ☀️#Israel #Palestine #طوفان_الأقصى pic.twitter.com/4u8wr9IWac

— Adal O Ihsan Movement (AIM) 🌞 (@AIMforUniverse)

The epicentre of the earthquake that struck around noon was located at about 25 miles northwest of Herat city, near the Iranian border. Several aftershocks due to the 5.5 magnitude tremors were felt. In the harrowing videos circulating online, frantic people were seen spilling on the street as their houses were reduced to debris and crumbled. “All people are out of their homes,” Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Samadi was quoted as saying. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt the quake,” he went on to add.

At least 12 ambulances were dispatched to the town of Zinda Jan to assist with the search for survivors. “As deaths and casualties from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded and assessing additional needs,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“WHO-supported ambulances are transporting those affected, most of them women and children,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated.

Last year, a powerful earthquake destroyed scores of homes, and buried hundreds of people under the rubble, killing 1,000 and injuring about 1,500. The devastating quake occurred in the mountainous Paktika province near the Pakistan border. Several tremors were felt for days after the earthquake which destroyed the roads leading to several devastated regions and hampering the rescue efforts.