Two powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday have brought grim news as the death toll continues to rise. Disaster relief authorities now estimate that the quake has claimed the lives of "about 120" individuals, with more than 1,000 others undergoing treatment for injuries, news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The epicentre was located 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) northwest of Herat. There was a 5.5 magnitude aftershock.
Mosa Ashari, the head of disaster management in Herat province, told AFP, "So far, more than 1,000 injured women, children, and elderly citizens have been included in our records, and about 120 people have lost their lives."
A pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes were detected by the US Geological Survey. The USGS website shows seven earthquakes in the region. According to Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Samadi, at least five severe earthquakes shook the city around lunchtime.
“All people are out of their homes. Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt the quake," Samadi was quoted by AP in its report.
His family began yelling and went outdoors, unable to return inside.
Telephone lines fell down, making it difficult to obtain information from impacted regions. Hundreds of people were seen on the streets outside their houses and offices in Herat, according to social media videos. Herat province has a border with Iran. According to local media, the tremor was also felt in the neighbouring provinces of Farah and Badghis.
A huge earthquake devastated a rough, hilly region of eastern Afghanistan in June 2022, demolishing stone and mud-brick dwellings. The earthquake was the worst in Afghanistan in two decades, killing at least 1,000 people and wounding around 1,500.
(With Inputs From Agencies)