Lagatar24 Desk
Kabul, Oct 8: A Taliban spokesperson announced on Sunday that the number of fatalities resulting from powerful earthquakes in western Afghanistan has now reached 2,000, making it one of the most lethal earthquakes the country has experienced in the past two decades.
On Saturday, a potent earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, accompanied by significant aftershocks, claimed the lives of numerous individuals in western Afghanistan, as reported by the national disaster authority of the country.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, has revealed that the casualties resulting from the earthquake in Herat are more extensive than initially stated. He explained that approximately six villages have been completely devastated, and hundreds of civilians are trapped beneath the rubble, emphasizing the need for immediate assistance.
According to a recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 465 homes have been confirmed as destroyed, and an additional 135 residences have sustained damage.
“Partners and local authorities anticipate the number of casualties to increase as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings,” the UN said.
According to Mohammad Abdullah Jan, the spokesperson for the disaster authority, the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks primarily impacted four villages in the Zenda Jan district of Herat province.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the epicentre of the earthquake was situated approximately 40 kilometres to the northwest of Herat city. Subsequently, there were three powerful aftershocks measuring 6.3, 5.9, and 5.5 in magnitude, in addition to smaller shocks.
