A massive earthquake struck Afghanistan on Wednesday which killed 1000 people and left 1500 injured.
Image Source: The Daily Mail
More than 1000 people were killed after a massive earthquake of 6.1 richter scales hit the eastern part of Afghanistan early on Wednesday. The meteorological department said the epicenter of the earthquake was in Afghanistan’s Paktika state, which is 50 kilometers away from the southwest city of Khosh. The tremors of the quake were also felt in Islamabad which is the capital of Pakistan.
The officials said the earthquake caused more damage because the region was a mountainous region and houses in that region were built without proper planning. Officials fear that the already grim death too may rise. The rescue teams will also face a tough situation because many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the country last year, with the withdrawal of the American military from the nation.
According to the reports of Bakhtar News Agency, the death toll was the same as that of the earthquake that hit northern Afghanistan in 2002. The earthquake of 2022 was the deadliest since 1988 when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake following tremors in northeast Afghanistan killed at least 4,500 people.
Most deaths reported today were from the eastern Afghan province of Paktika, where 255 people died and more than 200 got injured, said Salahuddin Ayubi, an official of the interior ministry. In Khost province, 25 people died and 90 were taken to hospital due to several injuries.
The Red Crescent Society of Afghanistan sent 4,000 blankets, 800 tents, and 800 kitchen kits to the areas facing severe damage, according to the director general of Bakhtaar, Abdul Wahid Rayan.
The medical group of Italy which still functions in the country, said it sent eight ambulances and staff to the areas closest to the quake zone.
Stefano Sozza, the country director for emergency in Afghanistan said; “ The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings”.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif said his nation is ready for help. Pope Francis also offered prayers at the Vatican, for all those killed and injured and for those “ suffering of the dear Afghan population”.
READ MORE- India ready to help and support earthquake-ravaged Afghanistan
