Deadly Earthquake Hits Afghanistan

A devastating earthquake struck Afghanistan on the night of September 1, with a magnitude of 6.2 reports Orda.kz.

The tremors were felt across all the southern provinces, especially Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman near the border with Pakistan.

Victims continue to be evacuated, and many remain trapped under the rubble.

The Afghan Air Force is urgently evacuating the wounded from the disaster zone. The Ministry of Information and Culture has announced an acute shortage of blood for transfusions needed by the victims. 

Rescue teams from the National Islamic Army are also operating in the region.

The destruction has reached the mountain slopes, making rescue operations in the area challenging.

At the time of writing this report, there have been At least 622 people killed and more than 1,500 injured.

The UN mission in Afghanistan expressed condolences to the victims in the eastern provinces and said its teams in the region were providing emergency assistance.

In 2022, about one thousand people were killed by tremors in Paktika and Khost provinces, where the magnitude exceeded six points. In October 2023, several earthquakes ranging from 4.6 to 6.3 struck Herat province in northwestern Afghanistan, killing about two thousand people.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva