Major Earthquakes in Afghanistan Leave Over 2,400 Dead, Taliban Says
KABUL, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Afghanistan experienced a devastating series of earthquakes on Saturday that resulted in the deaths of over 2,400 people, according to the Taliban administration. These tremors, which struck in the western part of the country, have been deemed the deadliest earthquakes Afghanistan has seen in years.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that one of the quakes had a magnitude of 6.3 and occurred approximately 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat. This makes them among the most lethal earthquakes worldwide this year, following the February earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.
Janan Sayeeq, spokesperson for the Ministry of Disasters, stated that the death toll has risen to 2,445, while the number of injured has been revised down to “more than 2,000” from an earlier estimate of 9,240. Moreover, around 1,320 houses have been damaged or destroyed, a significant increase from the initial report of 500 by the Red Crescent.
In response to the tragedy, ten rescue teams have been dispatched to the affected area, which shares a border with Iran, as announced during a press conference by Sayeeq. A Herat health department official, Dr. Danish, disclosed that over 200 deceased individuals have been brought to various hospitals, with a majority of them being women and children. The bodies have been distributed to military bases and hospitals.
Photos circulating on social media showed makeshift beds set up outside the main hospital in Herat, preparing to receive a surge of victims. Urgent assistance is required in the form of food, water, medicine, clothes, and tents, according to Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, who conveyed this message to the media.
The medieval minarets of Herat also suffered damage, as seen in photographs shared online, with visible cracks and fallen tiles. Due to its mountainous landscape, Afghanistan has a history of powerful earthquakes, particularly in the rugged Hindu Kush region along the border with Pakistan.
The death toll often rises when information from more remote regions of the country becomes available, as the ongoing war has heavily damaged infrastructure and hindered relief and rescue efforts. Afghanistan’s healthcare system, heavily reliant on foreign aid, has faced significant cuts since the Taliban assumed control two years ago, resulting in the suspension of much international assistance that had previously bolstered the economy.
Diplomats and aid officials have also noted that concerns over Taliban-imposed restrictions on women and other global humanitarian crises have led to a decrease in financial support from donors. The Islamist government has instructed most female aid staff not to work, although certain exemptions exist in the health and education sectors. The International Committee of the Red Cross recently stated that it may halt financial support for 25 Afghan hospitals due to funding constraints, but it remains unclear if the Herat hospital is on that list.
The earthquakes triggered panic in Herat, with residents reporting that people evacuated their houses and gathered on the streets. Furthermore, the city continues to experience aftershocks.
Out of the 202 public health facilities in Herat province, the major regional hospital received 500 casualties, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, most facilities in the province are smaller basic health centers, and logistical challenges have impeded operations, especially in remote areas. The WHO affirmed that search and rescue efforts are ongoing, and the full extent of the casualties in these areas is yet to be determined.
Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul; Additional reporting by Ariba Shahid and Gibran Peshimam in Karachi; Editing by William Mallard and Sanjeev Miglani