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Afghanistan Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To 2,000, Say Taliban Officials
Eko Hot Blog reports that Taliban officials have reported a devastating death toll of around 2,000 people following a powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s Herat province. This earthquake ranks as one of the deadliest in the country in the past two decades.
Afghanistan’s disaster management authority spokesperson Mohammad Abdullah Jan said the quake and aftershocks damaged homes in four villages in the Zendeh Jan district in Herat province [Screenshot/Reuters]
Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesperson based in Qatar, conveyed the urgent need for assistance as rescue operations strive to save those trapped under debris. He emphasized the requirement for tents, medical supplies, and food items in the affected areas, urging local businesses and NGOs to step forward and aid the affected population.
Earlier, Abdul Wahid Rayan, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, reported over 2,000 casualties from the earthquake and subsequent strong aftershocks. Several villages have been destroyed, with hundreds of people buried under rubble. He issued a plea for immediate assistance.
Initial reports from Afghanistan’s national disaster authority suggested around 100 fatalities, but the United Nations provided a preliminary figure of 320 deaths, which was later subject to verification. The Red Crescent estimated 500 casualties.
The magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck approximately 40km northwest of Herat city on Saturday. Strong aftershocks were felt in neighbouring provinces, including Badghis and Farah.
Abdul Shakor Samadi, a resident of Herat city, described the tremor and subsequent aftershocks, which prompted people to flee their homes. Significant damage was reported in Zendeh Jan district in Herat province, as well as Farah and Badghis provinces.
The World Health Organization dispatched ambulances to Zendeh Jan to transport wounded individuals to hospitals. Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, extended condolences to the victims’ families and the injured.
In June 2022, another powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, causing extensive damage and claiming over 1,000 lives, making it the deadliest earthquake in the country in 20 years.
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