Earthquake in Afghanistan: More than two thousand people died
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More than two thousand people have died due to the powerful earthquake in western Afghanistan. A spokesperson of the Taliban government gave this information on Sunday. People climbed over rocks and debris and attempted to rescue the dead and injured.
Many villages were destroyed by the earthquake and bodies are trapped under the debris of collapsed houses. This is one of the most destructive earthquakes to hit the country in two decades. The country’s National Disaster Authority said that hundreds of people died in the devastation caused by the powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday.
A Taliban government spokesman said Sunday the death toll, if confirmed, would make it one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the country in two decades.
Earlier, at least 1,000 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that struck the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan in June 2022. The US Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was located about 40 kilometers northwest of Herat city. After this, three earthquakes of magnitude 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5 were also felt.
Information and Culture Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahid Ryan said the number of people killed in the earthquake in Herat was much higher than initially reported. Appealing for immediate help, he said that many villages have been destroyed and hundreds of people are buried under the debris.
“The earthquake killed 2,060 people, injured 1,240 and completely destroyed 1,320 houses,” Ryan said. The UN migration agency sent four ambulances with doctors and psychological support counselors to the regional hospital. Have been deployed.
According to the agency, ‘Doctors Without Borders’ set up five medical tents to accommodate 80 patients at Herat Regional Hospital. Authorities have treated more than 300 patients.
Afghan Red Crescent Society spokesman Irfanullah Sharafzai said that seven teams are engaged in rescue efforts, while other teams are coming from eight surrounding provinces. “People whose houses have been destroyed are in need of shelter right now,” he said. A temporary camp has been set up for them.” Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan said he is donating his entire Cricket World Cup fee to help earthquake victims in Herat.
The UN agency wrote on the social media platform . “WHO-affiliated ambulances are taking the victims, mostly women and children, to hospitals.”
According to local media reports, the tremors were also felt in Farah and Badghis provinces. The Taliban urged local organizations to reach earthquake-hit areas as soon as possible, so that the injured could be taken to hospitals and the homeless could be provided shelter and food.
China’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Jing said that his government and the country’s charitable organizations are ready to provide all kinds of help. “We are in contact with Afghan government aid agencies to provide assistance to those in need,” he posted on X.
Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan is donating his entire Cricket World Cup fee to help Herat earthquake victims. Neighboring Pakistan said it was in touch with Afghan officials to immediately assess the needs.
Japan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Takashi Okada expressed his condolences on the social media platform ‘X’, saying that he was “deeply hurt and saddened by the news of the earthquake in Herant province.”
Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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