Afghanistan earthquake kills 1,000 – toll likely to rise
- Rescue operation launched after deadliest Afghanistan earthquake in two decades
- Death toll is likely to rise, official said, as rescue teams try to reach remote areas
An earthquake killed 1,000 people in Afghanistan early on Wednesday, disaster management officials said, with more than 1,500 injured and the toll expected to grow as information trickles in from remote mountain villages.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) put the earthquake’s magnitude at 6.1, though the US Geological Survey (USGS) said it was 5.9.
The epicentre was about 44km (27 miles) from the city of Khost, near the Pakistani border. Experts put the depth at just 10km (6 miles) – another factor that could lead to severe destruction.
01:51
Afghanistan hit by deadliest earthquake in 20 years, killing hundreds of people
Such temblors can cause severe damage, particularly in an area like this one where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common.
Most of the confirmed deaths were in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika, interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi said.
“The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details,” he said.
Authorities had launched a rescue operation and helicopters were being used to reach the injured and take in medical supplies and food, he added.