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KABUL – Emergency response teams in Afghanistan are in a race against time to save lives and retrieve victims trapped beneath the debris following a powerful earthquake that struck the western region of the country. The earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck villages in Herat Province with devastating force last Saturday, leaving more than 1,000 people feared dead.
The impact of the earthquake has disrupted communication networks and blocked numerous roads, making it exceedingly challenging for rescue workers to reach remote areas. Alongside the grim death toll, hundreds have sustained injuries, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
International organizations, including the United Nations, have initiated rapid response efforts to deliver emergency supplies to the affected regions. The earthquake epicenter was located approximately 40km (25 miles) northwest of Herat city, and it occurred at around 11:00 local time (06:30 GMT) on Saturday.
The most severely affected communities primarily consist of mud-built structures, which crumbled in the initial tremors. Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Herat, recounted the devastating scene, saying, “In the very first shake, all the houses collapsed, and those who were inside the houses were buried. There are families we have heard no news from.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that at least 465 houses have been flattened, and villagers have resorted to using shovels and their bare hands to rescue survivors from the rubble. With their homes reduced to rubble, many residents are preparing to spend a second night in the open, exposed to the elements.
The precise death toll is still being determined, with conflicting reports from different sources. The UN’s humanitarian affairs office in Afghanistan has estimated that over 1,000 people have tragically lost their lives, while approximately 500 remain unaccounted for. The Taliban government, earlier on Sunday, claimed that 2,000 people had either perished or sustained injuries in the disaster.
In a country already struggling with inadequate medical facilities, hospitals are overwhelmed by the influx of injured individuals. Mullah Janan Sayeq, the spokesman for the disaster management ministry, stated, “For the treatment of the victims of the incident, we are doing our best.” Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the affected areas.
Herat, located 120km (75 miles) east of the Iranian border, is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan, with an estimated 1.9 million residents in the province. Afghanistan is situated in a seismically active region, frequently experiencing earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates converge. Last June, the province of Paktika was struck by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
