Officials in Afghanistan say the death toll from a powerful earthquake that shook western parts of the country on Saturday has risen to more than 2,000. The Taliban-led Ministry of Natural Disasters confirmed the death toll in a statement Sunday, saying more than 1,300 houses were completely destroyed in the quake.
Naeemul Haq, the head of the Taliban-led information and media center in Herat province, said in a statement that more than 2,000 people were injured in the magnitude 6.3 quake. He added that rescue operations continued and said the number of victims is expected to increase further.
The earthquake struck Herat, a western province bordering Iran, at about 11 a.m. Saturday morning. Its epicenter was located near Zinda Jan, a district in central Herat. The major earthquake was followed by a second magnitude 6.3 earthquake that occurred approximately 30 minutes later.
According to the US Geological Survey, earthquakes in Afghanistan and its surrounding regions are common due to the complex and active interactions between the Arabia, Eurasia, and India tectonic plates. Earthquakes in western and central Afghanistan are primarily influenced by the northward movement of the Arabia plate relative to the Eurasia plate.
At least eight powerful aftershocks rattled the province within five hours and affected villages across three districts, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. OCHA described as serious the condition of many of those injured.
Taliban officials told a meeting of humanitarian organization representatives Sunday that the calamity had flattened more than a dozen villages housing around 3,000 families.
The United Nations in an initial overnight assessment reported that more than 600 houses "were partially or fully damaged" in the disaster zone.
"At least 4,200 people [600 families] have been affected. Additionally, an estimated 300 families, or 2,100 people, are reported to have been displaced," OCHA said.
"In coordination with the health authorities, the World Health Organization Country Office in Kabul and the WHO Field Office in Herat rapidly mobilized resources and extended immediate life-saving support for the affected population," the statement said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed sadness at the loss of life in the earthquake, asserted his solidarity with the Afghanistan people, and extended “his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured.”
The rest of the statement released by Stephane Dujarric, secretary-general spokesman, read, “The United Nations and our partners in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance.”
“As winter approaches, the Secretary-General calls on the international community to come together and support people impacted by the earthquake, many of whom were already in need before this crisis.”
Afghanistan remains in the grips of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The country has faced prolonged conflict and natural disasters, including flooding, drought and earthquakes. In June 2022, a powerful earthquake in the eastern parts of the impoverished South Asian nation killed more than 1,000 people.
Millions in the country are experiencing misery and hunger amid decades of conflict. 29.2 million people - two-thirds of the country’s population - require humanitarian assistance in 2023. Among those in need are 15.8 million boys and girls.
The cumulative effects of violent conflict, human rights violations, internal displacement, drought and other natural disasters have drastically increased humanitarian needs throughout the South Asian country.
More than 15 million people in Afghanistan face acute hunger, including nearly 3 million people in emergency levels of food insecurity. 4 million people are acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under the age of 5.
The hardline Taliban seized control of the country two years ago. They imposed sweeping restrictions on women's access to education and work per their strict interpretation of Islamic law. The de facto rulers have also barred women from working for aid groups, hampering humanitarian activities in Afghanistan. No country has recognized the Taliban government, citing human rights concerns and their treatment of women.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.
Further information
Full text: Afghanistan: Flash Update #1 Earthquake in Herat Province, Afghanistan, 7 October 2023 (as of 21.00), OCHA report, released October 7, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-flash-update-1-earthquake-herat-province-afghanistan-7-october-2023-2100