Death Toll From Earthquakes In Afghanistan Passes 2,000

Hundreds of civilians remain buried under debris, according to the Taliban, after one of the deadliest earthquakes in years

- NAMITA SINGH

At least 2,000 people have died following the earthquakes that shook Afghanistan on Saturday, a Taliban spokesperson has confirmed. A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake followed by strong aftershocks destroyed around six villages, in what has been described as the deadliest earthquake to strike the country in two decades.

Hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris, said Abdul Wahid Rayan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, as he called for urgent help. Mullah Janan Sayeeq, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Disaster [management], told reporters that 2,053 people were dead, 9,240 were injured, and 1,329 houses had been damaged or destroyed.

More than 200 dead had been brought to different hospitals, according to a Herat health department official who identified himself as Dr Danish. “Most of them are women and children, while 510 are injured. These numbers might change.” Bodies had been “taken to several places – military bases, hospitals”, Dr Danish said. “That is why we can’t confirm or reject the number.”

The United Nations gave a preliminary figure of 320 dead, but later said the number was still being verified. Local authorities gave an estimate of 100 people killed and 500 injured, according to the same update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The update also said 465 houses had been reported destroyed and a further 135 were damaged.