Afghanistan: 6.3 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks kill dozens, injure many

A powerful magnitude-6.3 earthquake followed by strong aftershocks killed dozens of people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, country’s national disaster authority said.

United Nations gave a preliminary figure of 320 de, but later said figure was still being verified. Local authorities gave an estimate of 100 people killed and 500 injured, according to same update from U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

update also said 465 houses h been reported destroyed and a furr 135 were damaged.

Disaster authority spokesperson Mohamm Abdullah Jan said four villages in Zenda Jan district in Herat province bore brunt of quake and aftershocks.

United States Geological Survey said quake’s epicenter was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Herat city. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks, measuring magnitude 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5, as well as lesser shocks.

At least five strong tremors struck city around noon, Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Sami said.

“All people are out of ir homes,” Sami said. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and re are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt quake.” His family began shouting and ran outside, afraid to return indoors.

World Health Organization in Afghanistan said it dispatched 12 ambulance cars to Zenda Jan to evacuate casualties to hospitals.

“As deaths & casualties from earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded & assessing ditional needs,” U.N. agency said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “WHO-supported ambulances are transporting those affected, most of m women and children.”

Telephone connections went down in Herat, making it hard to get details from affected areas. Videos on social media showed hundreds of people in streets outside ir homes and offices in Herat city.

Herat province borders Iran. quake also was felt in nearby Afghan provinces of Farah and Bghis, according to local media reports.

Abdul Ghani Barar, Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expressed his condolences to de and injured in Herat and Bghis.

Taliban urged local organizations to reach earthquake-hit areas as soon as possible to help take injured to hospital, provide shelter for homeless, and deliver food to survivors. y said security agencies should use all ir resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under debris.

“We ask our wealthy compatriots to give any possible cooperation and help to our afflicted brors,” Taliban said on X.

In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and mud-brick homes. quake was Afghanistan’s deliest in two deces, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring about 1,500.