HERAT: A devastating earthquake struck Afghanistan’s Herat province yesterday, resulting in a tragic loss of 2,000 lives. Afghan officials reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 in Herat province, causing extensive damage to infrastructure. Aftershocks were also felt in Badghis and Farah provinces.
According to Afghan authorities, the earthquake left 9,240 individuals injured, while 2,000 lost their lives. The Deputy Government’s spokesperson shared that over 600 houses were destroyed, impacting 4,200 people across 12 villages in Herat’s Zindajan and Ghorian districts. Ongoing search and rescue operations aim to rescue additional individuals trapped in the rubble.
Regrettably, the earthquake’s death toll remains alarmingly high, leaving Herat’s residents fearful and taking refuge in the streets. Meanwhile, Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority’s spokesperson, Mulla Janan Saeeq, expressed concerns about the potential for more casualties trapped beneath debris.
Furthermore, the American Seismological Center reported that the earthquake’s epicenter was located 40 kilometers northwest of Herat. Since the initial earthquake, there have been 8 powerful aftershocks that were also strongly felt.
It is worth noting that just last year in June, Eastern Afghanistan experienced a catastrophic earthquake, deemed the most perilous earthquake in two decades, claiming the lives of over 1,000 people and injuring around 1,500 others.
This is a developing story
