World

Another Strong Quake Hits Afghanistan, Killing 2,000

On Wednesday, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake slammed western Afghanistan, killing over 2,000 people after a series of similar tremors over the weekend.

The quake struck at a shallow depth at roughly 05:10 a.m. local time (00:40 GMT), with its epicentre about 29 kilometers north of Herat, according to the US Geological Survey.

Volunteers and rescuers have been working since Saturday in what are now desperate efforts to discover survivors of the previous set of earthquakes, which destroyed entire towns and killed more than 12,000 people, according to UN estimates.

Local and national officials have reported varying figures for the number of persons killed and injured in past earthquakes, but the disaster ministry has stated that 2,053 people died.

Mullah Janan Sayeq, disaster management ministry spokesman, stated, “We can’t give exact numbers for dead and wounded as it is in flux”.

There were no early indications of further injuries following Wednesday’s earthquake, which struck near Herat, a city of more than half a million people.

According to the UN, the previous earthquakes completely devastated at least 11 villages in Herat province’s Zenda Jan area.

Although catastrophic earthquakes strike Afghanistan on a regular basis, the weekend calamity was the worst to strike the war-torn country in more than 25 years.

The majority of rural Afghan dwellings are made of mud and erected around wooden support poles, with little steel or concrete reinforcement.

Because multigenerational extended families typically live under the same roof, severe earthquakes can devastate communities.

Afghanistan is already in a terrible humanitarian crisis as a result of the widespread withdrawal of foreign help following the Taliban’s re-election.

Also read: Following A Fire In A Parking Lot, London Luton Airport Suspends All Flights

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

Yemen’s Houthis Claim Responsibility For Missile Attack On Israel

Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel's Negev region, targeting the Negev…

8 hours ago

From ‘Razia Sultan’ To ‘Sarfarosh’: The Timeless Journey Of Nida Fazli, ‘Main Nida’

A special screening of the film 'Main Nida', based on the life of the renowned…

9 hours ago

Flood Alert In PoK’s Muzaffarabad After Alleged Jhelum Water Release

A flood alert was issued across Muzaffarabad on Saturday after locals reported a sudden rise…

10 hours ago

Zelensky, Trump Hold Talks In Rome Ahead Of Pope’s Funeral; Discusses Ceasefire & Peace

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Rome on Saturday ahead…

11 hours ago

Pahalgam Terror Attack: Ishan Educational Institutions Organises Protest Against Terrorism

Ishan Educational Institutions, Greater Noida, today organised a peaceful protest march condemning the recent terror…

12 hours ago

Complete Ban On Drone Flights Over Noida International Airport ‘Red Zone’

Authorities have imposed a complete ban on the operation of drones and UAVs over and…

12 hours ago