SHAFAQNA- The death toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan has risen sharply to more than 2,000 people, according to a Taliban’s Spokesperson.
“More than 2,060 people are dead and over 10,000 are injured,” he told the Guardian. “Many more people are still under the rubble.”
Saturday’s magnitude-6.3 quake – followed by eight strong aftershocks – jolted hard-to-reach areas 19 miles (30km) from the provincial capital of Herat, toppling rural homes and sending panicked city dwellers into the streets.
“Twelve villages in Zindah Jan and six in Ghoryan district are completely reduced to rubble. We expect the death toll will rise and efforts are under way to take people out,” the official added. “Rescue teams from Helmand and Kandahar have arrived in Herat.
Dozen villages destroyed
Rescue efforts are currently underway, but the extensive destruction caused by the earthquake has made it difficult to reach the affected areas. The earthquake’s epicenter was located near populated regions, which resulted in significant damage to buildings and infrastructure, including homes, schools, and hospitals.
At least a dozen villages in Zinda Jan and Ghoryan districts have been completely destroyed in one of the deadliest earthquake to hit Afghanistan in decades.
Food, drinking water, medicine, clothes and tents were urgently needed for rescue and relief, Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, said in a message to journalists.
The medieval minarets of Herat sustained some damage, photographs on social media showed, with cracks visible and tiles fallen off.
Source: theguardian, bnn.network, arabnews