A 6.3 Magnitude Quake Jolts Afghan Region Where 1,000 People Died Last Week

The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in western Afghanistan on Sunday, rattling the same region where more than 1,000 people were killed in earthquakes last week.

According to the USGS, the quake struck shortly after 8:00 a.m. (0330 GMT), with an epicentre 33 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of Herat region, the capital of the same-named western province.

It was followed 20 minutes later by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock.

Although there were no early reports of injuries, emergency management officials stated that they were still investigating.

On October 7, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake and eight intense aftershocks shook the same area of Herat, toppling swaths of rural dwellings.

According to the Taliban regime, around 1,000 people were died. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the tally at around 1,400 late Saturday.

After the initial tremors, which left thousands of scared inhabitants without shelter and volunteers hunting for survivors, another tremor of the same magnitude killed one person and injured 130 others.

The earthquakes were followed by dust storms, which ruined the tents in which survivors were sheltering.

According to the WHO, the series of disasters has touched approximately 20,000 people, with women and children accounting for the majority of fatalities.

Thousands of people are now living near the wreckage of homes where entire families were wiped out in an instant.

Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, and most of them occur in the country’s west and center, where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide.

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