More than two thousand dead and 600 homes destroyed: Afghanistan earthquake adds to the people’s suffering
The earthquake in Afghanistan has added to the suffering of the people
The death toll from a series of severe earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan sharply rose to over 2,000 people on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the Taliban, as rescue teams search for survivors among the completely destroyed villages. The sudden earthquake has exacerbated the Afghan people’s suffering.
With the extent of the damage becoming clear, Deputy Government Spokesperson Bilal Karimi said, “The death toll is more than a thousand people; we are waiting to see what the final numbers will be.” Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson who did not mention his name said the number is around 2,000 victims or more.
Panic and strong earthquake
The U.S. Associated Press agency reported that a strong earthquake shook Afghanistan yesterday, Saturday, with a magnitude of 6.3, followed by eight strong aftershocks. The areas that are difficult to reach are located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the provincial capital of Herat, causing the collapse of rural houses and forcing terrified city residents to take to the streets.
As night fell on Saturday in the village of Sar Puland in the Zinda Jan area, dozens of destroyed houses were seen near the earthquake epicenter that shook the region for over five hours. Men were digging through piles of collapsed buildings while women and children waited out in the open, with the destroyed houses displaying personal belongings fluttering in the strong winds.
The World Health Organization stated that more than 600 homes were destroyed or partially damaged in at least 12 villages in the Herat province, affecting around 4,200 people.
House collapses
42-year-old Bashir Ahmed said, “In the first tremor, all the houses collapsed.” He added, “Those inside the houses were buried. There are families we haven’t heard any news about.”
Nek Mohammad said he was at work when the first earthquake occurred around 11 a.m., adding, “We came back home and saw that there was nothing left, in reality. Everything has turned into sand.” The 32-year-old man continued, “Around 30 bodies have been retrieved so far. We don’t have anything, no blankets or anything else. With nightfall, we are left here in the dark with our martyrs.”
The World Health Organization, late on Saturday, said, “The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.”
In the city of Herat, residents fled their homes and schools, and hospitals and offices were evacuated when people felt the first earthquake. However, there have been few reports of casualties in the capital area.
Humanitarian crisis
The U.S. agency noted that Afghanistan was already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, with widespread withdrawals of foreign aid following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021. Additionally, Herat province, which is home to around 1.9 million people on the border with Iran, has been facing a continuous drought for years, further affecting communities already in distress.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, located near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Over a thousand people were killed, and tens of thousands were displaced in June of last year after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, the deadliest in Afghanistan in nearly a quarter-century, struck the impoverished Paktika province.
