A magnitude 6.3 earthquake slammed western Afghanistan, killing more than 2,000 people after a string of related shocks on the weekend.
earthquake hits western Afghanistan: According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake took place at a shallow depth at approximately 05:10 am local time (00:40 GMT), with its epicentre located about 29 kilometres north of the city of Herat.
Since Saturday, volunteers and rescuers have been searching for survivors of the earlier series of earthquakes, which, according to UN estimates, destroyed entire towns and affected more than 12,000 people.
Local and national officials have reported the number of individuals killed and injured in the prior earthquakes in different numbers, although the disaster ministry has stated that 2,053 people perished.
The disaster management ministry’s spokesman, Mullah Janan Sayeq, stated that “we can’t give exact numbers for dead and wounded as it is in flux.”
“Immediately following the earthquake in Herat city, which is home to more than 500,000 people, there were no additional casualties report.”
According to the UN, the earlier earthquakes completely destroyed at least 11 villages in the Zenda Jan area of Herat province.
“Deadly Earthquakes Devastate Herat, Afghan Housing Crisis Looms”
Mohammad Naeem, 40, told AFP that he lost 12 relatives, including his mother, in the earthquakes that occurred on Saturday. He said, “There isn’t a single house left, not even a room where we could stay at night.”
“We can no longer reside here. As you can see, our family was martyred at this place. How are we able to live here?
Many Herat residents were reportedly spending their evenings in open-air tents because they were afraid of aftershocks from the weekend tremors.
Large-scale housing provision will be difficult for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, who took control in August 2021 and have strained relations with international humanitarian agencies.
Although fatal earthquakes frequently affect Afghanistan, the calamity over the weekend was the worst to batter the war-torn nation in more than 25 years.
“In rural Afghanistan, people construct the majority of houses from mud around wooden support poles with little steel or concrete reinforcement.”
Since extended families with multiple generations frequently share one roof, devastating earthquakes can wreak havoc on entire towns.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of power, there is already a severe humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan as a result of the widespread withdrawal of Western aid.
An ongoing drought has been affecting the 1.9 million residents of Herat province, which is located near the Iranian border.