More than 2,000 people were killed in a strong earthquake in Afghanistan

More than 2,000 people were killed in the violent earthquake that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, causing massive damage, according to a new official report released on Sunday.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck areas 30 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat on Saturday, was followed by eight strong aftershocks.

2053 martyrs in 13 villages. 1,240 people were injured. 1,320 homes were completely destroyedTaliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X (formerly Twitter), citing the disaster management agency.

In the village of Sarbuland, Zinda Jan district, dozens of homes were destroyed, according to what a journalist from the area reportedFrance Press agency At Saturday night.

The men were clearing the rubble while the women and children waited outside among the rubble.

Unfortunately, the number of victims is very highannounced toFrance Press agency Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Taliban government. We are waiting to see the final numbersHe completed it.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 600 homes were destroyed or partially damaged in at least a dozen villages in Herat Province. In total, 4,200 people were affected in one way or another by the earthquake, according to the same source.

From the first shock, all the houses collapsed. Those who were inside the houses were buried. There are families we have no news about.

Nik Muhammad was at work when the first earthquake hit Afghanistan at around 11 a.m. local time.

We came home and found there was nothing left. Everything has become sandHe explained that about 30 bodies were found.

Right now, we don’t have anything. No blankets or anything else. We are left with our martyrsAdds the 32-year-old.

Open in full screen mode

The World Health Organization warned against this on Saturday The number of victims is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.

In Herat, considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan, many residents and merchants fled buildings at the first earthquake.

Herat Province, which has a population of 1.9 million people according to World Bank data, has been suffering from drought for years, paralyzing many already suffering agricultural communities.

Open in full screen mode

Afghanistan is frequently exposed to earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake, the deadliest to date in Afghanistan in nearly 25 years, left more than a thousand dead and tens of thousands displaced in the province.

Last March, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake killed 13 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan, near the town of Jorm in the northeast of the country.

Afghanistan is already suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis, since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and the subsequent withdrawal of international aid.