Kabul: A strong earthquake in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border has destroyed numerous villages and caused extensive damage, killing at least 250 people and injuring at least 500 others, officials said.
The deaths and injuries were expected to increase as search and rescue teams reached the area.
The quake late Sunday hit a series of towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighbouring Nangahar province.
The 6.0 magnitude at 11:47 pm was centred 27 kilometres east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the US Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometres deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
The Kunar Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that at least 250 people were killed and 500 others injured in the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapadare.
“Rescue operations are still underway there, and several villages have been completely destroyed. The figures for martyrs and injured are changing. Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health.
He said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as death and injuries are reported.
Nearby Jalalabad is a bustling trade city due to its proximity to neighbouring Pakistan and a key border crossing between the countries.
Although it has a population of about 300,000 according to the municipality, its metropolitan area is thought to be far larger. Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, and its outlying areas include homes built of mud bricks and wood. Many are of poor construction.
Jalalabad also has considerable agriculture and farming, including citrus fruit and rice, with the Kabul River flowing through the city.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan October 7, 2023, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 people perished.
The UN gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
AP
