The earthquake on June 22, 2022, is one of the deadliest since 2002.
A powerful earthquake has killed more than 920 people and left at least 600 injured in Afghanistan, reported BBC.
An earthquake of the magnitude of 6.1 at a depth of some 51km hit around 44km (27 miles) from the south-eastern city of Khost a little after 01:30 am local time (21:00 Tuesday GMT) when residents were asleep. The earthquake on June 22, 2022, is one of the deadliest since 2002. Most of the casualties so far were in the Gayan and Barmal districts in Paktika, a local doctor told the BBC.
A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of Afghanistan early on Wednesday, killing at least 920 people and injuring 600 others in the deadliest quake in two decades ⤵️
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 22, 2022
— in pictures https://t.co/VzBbUYcFQc pic.twitter.com/rGfthRnpve
A Taliban government spokesman, Bilal Karimi, tweeted, "Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe."
According to The Washington Post, Muhammad Nasim Haqqani, a disaster management spokesman said that the province of Paktika was hit hardest, with earlier estimates of 255 killed and 500 wounded while 25 people were killed in the province of Khost.
🚨#Afghanistan #Earthquake
— OCHA Afghanistan (@OCHAAfg) June 22, 2022
A 6.1 M earthquake struck in the early hours of this morning near the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan.
The most affected areas are in Spera District in Khost Province, and Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts in Paktika Province.
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According to ALJAZEERA, interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi earlier said the death toll was likely to rise “as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details”.
Photographs on Afghan media showed houses reduced to nothing but rubble, with bodies covered in blankets lying on the ground. Helicopters were deployed in the rescue effort to reach the injured and fly in medical supplies and food, said an interior ministry official, Salahuddin Ayubi. "The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details."
Nearly 1000 people dead in one night in Afghanistan earthquake. Homes, villages, livelihood gone.
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) June 22, 2022
Death and death remains the news from home, no break. Sudden death by quake and explosion; slow death by hunger, crisis, and oppression. https://t.co/QEyhaCPjgR
Tremors were also felt more than 500km of Afghanistan in neighboring Pakistan, Iran and India. However, there were no reports of immediate damage or casualties.
Afghanistan is mountainous and is located in a complex tectonic region which makes it vulnerable to earthquakes. In the past 10 years, more than 7,000 people have been killed because of earthquakes in the country, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. An average of 560 deaths happen a year from earthquakes.
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61890804
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/22/afghanistan-earthquake-taliban-khost-deadly/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo Natalie Behring-Chisholm
