| 08 October 2023
| Christie Anto
Herat, Afghanistan – A powerful earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck western Afghanistan on Saturday morning, followed by a series of strong aftershocks that have left a trail of destruction and death in their wake. Local officials report that more than 100 people have lost their lives, with hundreds more injured. However, the United Nations warns that the death toll may continue to rise as search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The initial earthquake epicenter was located approximately 40 kilometers west of the city of Herat, a densely populated area in western Afghanistan. The tremors, which began at around 11 am local time (06:30 GMT), were felt as far as the neighboring provinces of Badghis and Farah.
The Afghan Ministry of Defence, in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), confirmed the grim statistics, revealing that the earthquake had claimed the lives of more than 100 individuals and left over 500 injured. However, the situation appears to be even more dire, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reporting unconfirmed estimates of up to 320 casualties.
OCHA expressed concerns that the casualty count might surge as search and rescue efforts persist, with potential survivors trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The aftershocks, some of which registered at magnitudes 6.3, 5.9, and 5.5, have added to the sense of unease and fear gripping the region.
In Herat city, one resident, Abdul Shakor Samadi, described the chaos and terror that unfolded following the earthquake, with at least five strong tremors shaking the area. "All people are out of their homes. Houses, offices, and shops are all empty, and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home; I felt the quake," Samadi recounted. His family, like many others, rushed outside in panic, reluctant to return indoors.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the epicenter of the earthquake as approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Herat city. In addition to Herat, significant damage to homes was reported in four villages in the Zenda Jan district of Herat province, as well as in the Farah and Badghis provinces.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan swiftly responded to the crisis, dispatching 12 ambulances to Zenda Jan to evacuate casualties to hospitals. "As deaths and casualties from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded & assessing additional needs," the UN agency reported on social media.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, extended his condolences to the victims in Herat and Badghis. The Taliban, who now govern Afghanistan, called on local organizations to quickly reach the earthquake-affected areas to assist in evacuating the injured, providing shelter for the displaced, and delivering food to survivors. They also urged security agencies to utilize all available resources to rescue those trapped under debris.
This devastating earthquake is a harsh reminder of the seismic vulnerability of Afghanistan, with the last major quake occurring in June 2022, claiming the lives of over 1,000 people and injuring approximately 1,500. The nation's resilience is once again being tested, as it grapples with the immediate aftermath of this disaster and the ongoing challenges of reconstruction and recovery.
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