Over 2,000 Deaths in Afghanistan Earthquake: Updates and Reports

HERAT, KOMPAS.com – The number of Afghan earthquake victims who died doubled, to more than 2,000 on Sunday (8/10/2023).

The Afghanistan earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred on Saturday (7/10/2023), followed by eight strong aftershocks.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in a remote area, 30 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital Herat.

Also read: UPDATE Afghanistan earthquake, death toll rises sharply to more than 1,000 people

Houses in the countryside collapsed, and city residents panicked and took to the streets.

“2,053 people died in 13 villages. 1,240 people were injured. 1,320 houses completely destroyed,” wrote the Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, on social media X (formerly known as Twitter), citing the local disaster management agency.

On Saturday in Sarboland village, Zinda Jan district, AFP news agency reporters saw dozens of destroyed houses near the epicenter of the earthquake that shook repeatedly for more than five hours.

Men shoveled piles of crushed rock, while women and children waited in the open.

In the destroyed houses, personal belongings were seen being blown away by the strong winds.

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“In the first shock, all the houses collapsed,” said resident Bashir Ahmad (42).

“People in the house were crushed,” he continued. “There are families we haven’t heard from.”

Deputy government spokesman Bilal Karimi said on Sunday that as the extent of the damage became clearer, the death toll was very high.

“We are waiting to see what the final outcome will be,” he told AFP, regarding the latest news on Afghanistan’s earthquake victims.

Also read: Taliban Says Afghanistan Earthquake Kills 2,053 People

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2023-10-08 12:49:00
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