Powerful Earthquake Devastates Eastern Afghanistan
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, October 7th, 2023, resulting in widespread devastation and claiming the lives of at least 800 peopel. Over 2,800 individuals have been reported injured, and numerous villages have been destroyed, according to a Taliban government spokesman.
The quake, centered approximately 25 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province and at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers, primarily impacted towns within Kunar province. The US Geological Survey reported the quake occurred at 11:47 pm local time. Shallower earthquakes generally cause more meaningful damage.
Initial reports from the Taliban’s Interior Ministry indicate 610 deaths and 1,300 injuries in Kunar province alone, with many homes reduced to rubble. Though, health ministry officials caution that accurate casualty figures are still being compiled due to the remote and challenging terrain of the affected region, which consists of scattered hamlets prone to both earthquakes and flooding.
Rescue efforts are underway in multiple districts of the mountainous province, focusing on areas bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Teams are working to reach isolated communities where homes constructed of mud and stone have been especially vulnerable. Hundreds of injured have been transported to hospitals, and officials anticipate the number of casualties will rise as reports arrive from remote locations with limited road access.
Afghanistan is situated in a seismically active zone,specifically where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge within the Hindu Kush mountain range,making it susceptible to frequent and often deadly earthquakes.
Jalalabad, a city of approximately 300,000 people (with a larger metropolitan area), serves as a vital trade hub due to its proximity to Pakistan and a key border crossing. the city’s infrastructure largely consists of low-rise buildings made of concrete and brick,while outlying areas feature more vulnerable structures built from mud bricks and wood,many of which are of poor construction. Jalalabad’s economy is supported by agriculture, including the cultivation of citrus fruits and rice, benefiting from the flow of the Kabul River through the city.
While initial estimates from the Taliban government placed the death toll at 4,000, the united nations reported a figure of around 1,500. Regardless of the precise number, this earthquake represents the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory. Strong aftershocks continue to be felt in the region.
(Source: Reuters/AP)
