More than 1000 people were killed and over 1500 injured after an earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, an official told local news media. The victims died when the roofs of their houses collapsed in the Guyana district in the eastern province of Paktika.
The earthquake was magnitude 6.1, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake struck about 46 kilometers southwest of Khost city in eastern Afghanistan at a depth of 51km, the US Geological Survey said.
Local authorities said that the earthquake demolished numerous homes, and they are working to recover the dead from the rubble.
Ninety houses were damaged in the province, and some villages were completely destroyed. The number of casualties rose as rescue operations continued.
“Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses,” Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi wrote on Twitter.
“We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.”
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