ISLAMABAD – A Taliban spokesman announced on Sunday that the death toll from the powerful earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan had risen to 2,000 people, in one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the country in two decades.
A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake followed by strong aftershocks killed dozens of people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, the country’s National Disaster Authority said.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, said the death toll from the earthquake in Herat was higher than originally reported. He added that about six villages were destroyed, and hundreds of civilians were buried under the rubble, calling for urgent assistance.
The United Nations gave an initial figure of 320 dead, but later said that number was still being verified. Local authorities estimated 100 people were killed and 500 injured, according to the same update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The update also stated that 465 homes were reported destroyed and another 135 damaged.
The United Nations said: “Partners and local authorities expect the number of casualties to rise as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings.”
Disaster Authority spokesman Muhammad Abdullah Jan said that four villages in the Zinda Jan district of Herat province bore the brunt of the earthquake and aftershocks.
The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was about 25 miles northwest of the city of Herat. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks of magnitude 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5, in addition to smaller tremors.
Abdul Shakur Samadi, a resident of Herat, said that at least five strong earthquakes struck the city at noon.
“All the people have come out of their homes,” Samadi said. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our house, and I felt the earthquake.” His family started screaming and ran outside for fear of going back inside.
The World Health Organization in Afghanistan said it had sent 12 ambulances to Zinda Jan to evacuate the injured to hospitals.
“As deaths and injuries from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals to help treat the injured and assess additional needs,” the UN agency said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ambulances supported by the World Health Organization transport those affected, most of whom are women and children.
Telephone communications were cut off in Herat, making it difficult to obtain details from the affected areas. Videos spread on social media showed hundreds of people in the streets outside their homes and offices in the city of Herat.
Herat Province is located on the border with Iran. Local media reports said that residents of the nearby Afghan provinces of Farah and Badghis also felt the earthquake.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, expressed his condolences to those killed and wounded in Herat and Badghis.
The Taliban urged local organizations to reach the areas hit by the earthquake as quickly as possible to help transport the wounded to hospitals, provide shelter for the homeless and deliver food to survivors. They said that the security services must use all their resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under the rubble.
“We ask our wealthy citizens to provide any possible cooperation and assistance to our afflicted brothers,” the Taliban said on Channel X.
Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Takashi Okada, expressed his condolences, saying on the social media platform
In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region in eastern Afghanistan, leveling stone and mudbrick homes. The earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and injured about 1,500 others.
“Internet practitioner. Social media maven. Certified zombieaholic. Lifelong communicator.”