Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT News
KABUL – Rescue efforts in the earthquake-ravaged Herat province have been scaled back as hopes of finding survivors wane, following the deadliest earthquakes the country has witnessed in years. Villagers in the affected area are now holding mass funerals for the victims.
These devastating earthquakes, which struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, have claimed the lives of over 4,000 people and left many others injured, with a significant number being women and children, according to the World Health Organization.
The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) reports that approximately 2,000 houses have been completely destroyed in the wake of two powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquakes.
Mullah Saiq, spokesperson for ANDMA, expressed grim statistics during a press conference in Kabul, stating, “So far, the statistics we have received regarding casualties are unfortunately exceeding 4,000 people. According to our data, in about 20 villages, approximately 1,980 to 2,000 houses have completely collapsed.”
These earthquakes struck Herat Province and its neighboring areas on a fateful Saturday afternoon, with the initial tremor occurring at approximately 11:10 local time (0640 GMT).
The ongoing relief and rescue efforts are facing significant challenges due to the crumbling infrastructure, a result of decades of war, and a lack of foreign aid that was once a lifeline for the region’s economy but has diminished since the Taliban assumed power.
Janan Sayeeq, spokesperson for the Disaster Management Ministry, noted, “The operation is almost done,” while emphasizing that rescue efforts are still underway in some remote villages.
As of Sunday, the UN Humanitarian Office reported a death toll of 1,023, with an additional 1,663 people injured and over 500 individuals still missing in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
