Shillong, October 8: In one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit Afghanistan in the past two decades, the death toll has risen to 2,000 following powerful tremors in western Afghanistan, according to a Taliban spokesperson.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, struck on Saturday, accompanied by significant aftershocks, leading to the loss of numerous lives in the region, as reported by the country’s national disaster authority.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, revealed that the death toll in Herat is higher than initially reported. Approximately six villages have been decimated, and hundreds of civilians are trapped under the debris. He urgently appealed for assistance.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 465 houses have been destroyed, and an additional 135 have suffered damage.
Mohammad Abdullah Jan, spokesperson for the disaster authority, noted that four villages in the Zenda Jan district of Herat province were the hardest hit by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.
The United States Geological Survey pinpointed the epicenter of the quake approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Herat city. This seismic event was followed by three powerful aftershocks measuring magnitudes of 6.3, 5.9, and 5.5, in addition to lesser tremors.
