Race to Rescue More Than 1,000 Feared Missing In Afghanistan Earthquake
Emergency teams in Afghanistan are racing to rescue people from the rubble left by a powerful earthquake that struck the west of the country.
More than 1,000 people are feared dead after the 6.3-magnitude quake hit villages in Herat province on Saturday.
Hundreds have also been injured. The United Nations and other organizations have begun to rush in emergency supplies.
The earthquake struck about 40 kilometers, of Herat at around 6:30 GMT on Saturday. The exact death toll is still being established.
The United Nation’s humanitarian affairs office says more than 1,000 people have been killed, and about 500 are still missing.
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Earlier on Sunday, the Taliban government said 2,000 people had either been killed or wounded.
Earlier on Sunday, the Taliban government said 2,000 people had either been killed or wounded.
In a country with sorely inadequate medical facilities, hospitals are struggling to care for the injured.
“For the treatment of the victims of the incident we are doing our best,” disaster management ministry spokesman Mullah Janan Sayeq told reporters in Kabul.
“On-site search operations in the affected area are ongoing,” he said.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes – especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range as it lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
