A strong earthquake hit the Herat province in Afghanistan on Saturday. Reuters, citing Afghan government authorities, reports over 2,000 deaths. There are major communication problems in the disaster-affected region.
On Saturday around 11 a.m. local time (8.30 a.m. in Poland) The earth shook in Herat province, Afghanistan. The 6.3-magnitude quake had an epicenter located 35 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat in western Afghanistan.
According to Reuters, citing the Afghan Ministry of Disaster Affairs, the earthquake killed at least 2,053 inhabitants of the region. 9,240 people were injured and at least 1,328 houses were destroyed.
Earlier, the AFP agency, quoting the deputy spokesman of the Taliban government, reported that the death toll from the quake had risen to “over a thousand.” – Unfortunately, the number of victims of the disaster is very high – said Bilal Karimi. A spokesman for the Afghan Red Cross has so far confirmed 500 deaths, with many people hospitalized.
Earthquake in AfghanistanPAP/EPA/STRINGER
“The building started shaking”
The tremors damaged many buildings, the inhabitants of which found themselves under the rubble. Witnesses described their horror as their homes and offices began to shake and fall apart.
– We were in the office and suddenly the building started shaking. The plaster began to fall off the walls, cracks appeared, some walls and parts of the building collapsed – said one of the residents of Herat. – I am unable to contact my family, there is no communication. “I’m worried and scared, it was terrifying,” he added.
After the earthquake, the region was hit by three strong aftershocks.
Location of the earthquake in AfghanistanUSGS
Main photo source: PAP/EPA – Stringer