More than 2,400 people were killed in Afghanistan as a result of earthquakes, according to the Taliban administration. These quakes, which occurred on Saturday in the west of the country, were the deadliest in years. The epicenter of these tremors was located 35 km northwest of the city of Herat, with the strongest quake measuring 6.3 magnitude, as reported by the US Geological Survey (USGS). This makes them one of the deadliest earthquakes in the world this year, trailing behind the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that resulted in an estimated 50,000 deaths in February.
Janan Sayeeq, the spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, conveyed to Reuters that the death toll had risen to 2,445 people, while the number of injured was revised down to “more than 2,000”. The earlier report had stated that 9,240 people were injured. The Red Crescent, on the other hand, had previously reported 500 deaths. Ten rescue teams were deployed to the affected area, which shares a border with Iran.
A health department official in Herat revealed that over 200 deceased individuals had been taken to various hospitals, with the majority being women and children. Photos on social media showed that beds had been set up outside the main hospital in Herat to accommodate the influx of victims. Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, emphasized the urgent need for food, drinking water, medicine, clothes, and tents to aid in the rescue and relief efforts.
The medieval minarets in Herat sustained damage, as visible in photographs shared on social media, with cracked surfaces and fallen tiles. Afghanistan is situated between mountains and has a history of strong earthquakes, especially in the rugged Hindu Kush region along the Pakistan border.
It is common for the death count to rise in such situations as information from more remote areas becomes available. Afghanistan’s healthcare system heavily relies on foreign aid, which has been cut back significantly since the Taliban assumed control, leading to difficulties in organizing relief and rescue operations. Donors have been hesitant to provide financial support due to concerns regarding Taliban restrictions on women and competing humanitarian crises worldwide.
In August, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced the likely end of its financial support for 25 Afghan hospitals due to funding constraints. It is unclear if the Herat hospital is included in this list. The earthquakes caused panic in Herat, with residents taking to the streets and feeling aftershocks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in a report that there are 202 public health facilities in Herat province, with the main regional hospital receiving 500 casualties. However, the majority of these facilities are smaller and facing logistical challenges, particularly in remote areas. The search and rescue operations are ongoing, and the identification of casualties in these areas has not been completed.
(Note: This article has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)