Afghanistan: Death toll in Herat earthquakes surpasses 4,000
Oct 10, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], October 10 : The earthquake in Herat province of Afghanistan has claimed over 4000 lives and has destroyed thousands of residential houses, Khaama Press reported citing the Taliban ministry.
The Ministry of Disaster Management of Afghanistan has announced that on Saturday that 1,983 residential houses have also been destroyed in 20 villages in Herat.
The Taliban has not yet broken down the number of deaths and injuries brought on by the earthquake in Herat. The Ministry reported in a news release that 35 national and foreign search and rescue teams with 1,000 individuals were on the scene of the earthquake on Monday following a press conference in Kabul, according to Khaama Press.
The Taliban said that a team led by the group's commander, Hibatullah Akhundzada, also travelled to Herat and pledged support for earthquake victims.
According to the Taliban, rescue and relief efforts for those buried under debris are still underway.
The European Union, and the World Health Organization have pledged cash, food, and medical aid to the Herat earthquake victims.
Herat and surrounding regions were shaken by the magnitude 6.3 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks on Saturday.
A representative of the Natural Disaster Management Authority was quoted by Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, as saying that 2,053 people had died and 1,240 more had been injured, reported Pajhwok News.
According to him, 1,320 homes were entirely destroyed, and the number of people in need of rescue is continually growing in the impacted districts.
The province's Zinda Jan and Ghorian districts saw the majority of the fatalities.
Moreover, the Disaster Management Authority head of the region, Maulvi Musa Ashari, told Pajhwok Afghan News the earthquake had razed 12 villages and wounded 600 people in the two districts.
Whereas, the World Health Organisation (WHO), in a post on X, noted that it had sent drugs and supplies to Herat hospitals to help treat the injured. It offered to provide any additional help that was required, according to Pajhwok News.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), six earthquakes occurred in western Afghanistan the largest one was at a magnitude of 6.3. Based on the information from (USGS), the latest earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 occurred at a depth of 7.7 km in the "Zinda Jan district of Herat."
The quake also was felt in the nearby provinces of Farah and Badghis, according to local media reports.
