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1,400 and counting: Afghanistan earthquake kills hundreds, thousands still trapped
Authorities and humanitarian aid groups have warned that the number of casualties could rise significantly in the coming days.
The death toll from one of the most devastating earthquakes that struck northern Afghanistan on Monday continues to climb, with rescue efforts still underway and thousands feared trapped under debris.
Authorities and humanitarian aid groups have warned that the number of casualties could rise significantly in the coming days.
According to a Taliban government spokesman, at least 1,400 people have been confirmed dead and over 3,000 injured, but the figures remain fluid.
"The injured are being evacuated so that these figures may change significantly," Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority spokesperson, told AP.
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"The earthquake caused landslides in some areas, blocking roads, but they have been reopened, and the remaining roads will be reopened to allow access to areas that were difficult to reach," he added.
However, a separate and more sobering estimate from the Afghan Red Crescent Society puts the current death toll at 1,124, with 3,251 injured and over 8,000 homes destroyed.
A 6.0-magnitude quake struck late Sunday night in several provinces, flattening villages and leaving people trapped under the rubble of homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood, unable to withstand the shock. Multiple aftershocks followed the quake.
Most impacted regions
Most casualties were in Kunar province, where many people live in steep river valleys separated by high mountains.
Rescue operations were carried out in four villages in Kunar, and efforts will now be focused on reaching more remote mountain areas, said Ehsanullah Ehsan, the provincial head of disaster management.
According to the USGS, the earthquake epicentre was about 27 kilometres (17 miles) from Jalalabad and struck just eight kilometres below the Earth's surface.
Rescue operations on
Rescue and relief operations, which began soon after the deadly Earthquake, continue as rescuers desperately searched on Tuesday for survivors in the rubble of homes flattened by an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan.
The head of the Kunar Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told AFP that "operations continued throughout the night".
Villagers joined the rescue efforts, using their bare hands to clear debris from simple mud and stone homes built into steep valleys.
Meanwhile, helicopters are being used to evacuate the injured to the hospital. Aid agencies said their teams made journeys on foot to reach the most isolated areas because of the rough terrain and ruined roads.
Global support erupts for Afghanistan
The UK has pledged £1 million ($1.3 million) in emergency funding to be split between humanitarian agencies rather than the Taliban government, which the UK does not recognise.
India also dispatched relief material to Afghanistan. "Conveyed that India has delivered 1000 family tents today in Kabul. Fifteen tonnes of food material is also being immediately moved by the Indian Mission from Kabul to Kunar," EAM S Jaishankar said.
Other governments, including China, have offered disaster relief assistance.
