Afghanistan earthquake: Race to rescue victims in Herat Province

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Afghan residents clear debris from a damaged house after earthquake in Sarbuland village in Herat province on 7 October 2023shabby Graphics

Teams of emergency personnel are rushing to save people from the debris left behind by a strong earthquake that hit the country’s east.

After the 6.3 scale earthquake hit settlements in Herat Province on Saturday, hundreds of people are thought to have died.

Rescue workers are struggling to reach remote locations because contacts are down and several roads are blocked.

Numerous thousands of people have been hurt. Emergency supplies are being rushed in by the UN and various organizations.

At around 11:00 local time( 06:30 GMT ) on Saturday, the earthquake struck about 40 kilometers( 25 miles ) north-west of the city of Herat.

The communities that are most severely impacted are made of clay buildings. Bashir Ahmad, a native of Herat whose family resides in one of the villages, said that” all the houses collapsed in the very first tremble.”

He continued,” Those who were inside the buildings were buried.” ” There are people from which we have received no information.”

At least 465 homes had been leveled, according to the World Health Organization( WHO ).

Motorists put money into donation boxes for earthquake victims in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 08 October 2023

EFE

To rescue survivors from the debris, people have used hammers and their hands. Many people are getting ready to rest in the open for a second day after having their houses destroyed.

The precise number of fatalities is also unknown. According to the Taliban state, there have been 2,000 fatalities or injuries.

Clinics are struggling to provide care for the injured in a nation with gravely limited health services.

We are doing our best to treat the incident’s patients, crisis management government official Mullah Janan Sayeq told investigators in Kabul.

He stated that” onsite search functions in the damaged area are continuing.”

Herat, which is 120 kilometers( 75 miles ) south of the Iranian border, is regarded as Afghanistan’s social capital. There are thought to be 1.9 million persons residing in the state.

Since the Hindu Kush mountain range is close to the confluence of the Asian and American tectonic plates, Afghanistan is often struck by earthquakes.

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the state of Paktika in June of last year, killing more than 1, 000 people and leaving tens of thousands poor.

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