Several helicopters were sent to the disaster area to help local people. According to the Civil Defense Authority, local emergency services sought access to the remote area.
Meanwhile, several aid organizations have pledged their support for the country. “The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue,” said the UN Office for Emergency Relief (OCHA). United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has offered his condolences.
“The earthquake in Afghanistan has shaken a country of about 20 million people who do not know how to feed themselves,” said Thomas Den Boyer, national director of Welthungerhilfe in Kabul. “Local authorities have already signaled that outside aid is welcome. The scale of the disaster is still unknown and shows that we can not cope,” says Ten Boer.
According to the OCHA, up to 1,800 homes have been destroyed in the affected provinces. Construction in the poor and economically disadvantaged area is not an earthquake source for cost reasons. Because the average Afghan family has seven to eight members, and many families often live under the same roof, many may have become homeless.
“Horror is big”
An eyewitness told the dpa news agency about the devastation in the affected areas. “There is great confusion everywhere. I counted a hundred bodies in an hour,” said journalist Rahim San Sushil. “The horror is great. Parents can not find their children, children can not find their parents. Everyone is wondering who is dead, who is alive. The houses are made of clay, which is why they were all destroyed by a strong earthquake.”
A government spokesman wrote on Twitter: “We call on aid agencies to provide immediate relief to those affected by the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.” Aides from the Red Cross arrived Wednesday.
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The quake was felt in many parts of Pakistan
Information from regional seismic stations about the strength was initially volatile. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the region on Tuesday evening (local time), Pakistani officials said. According to the USGS, the quake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale and struck at 1:30 am local time. The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, at a depth of about 10 km, 50 km southwest of Pakistan.
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the region at about the same time, according to the USGS. The quake affected Kabul, the capital, 200 kilometers away, and Lahore, Pakistan, 480 kilometers away. There was panic in some places, but according to initial reports, nothing was known about the damage or injuries in Pakistan.
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