Voice of America
22 Jun 2022, 23:36 GMT+10
Islamabad - A powerful earthquake in Afghanistan's southeast has killed more than 1,000 people and injured hundreds of others, Taliban authorities said.
Rescue workers said the casualties from the quake, which struck during the early hours of Wednesday, were likely to increase further.
Deputy Taliban Minister for Disaster Management Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim told a news conference in the capital, Kabul that most of the devastation occurred in southeastern Paktika and Khost provinces, which border Pakistan.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 6.1 quake struck about 44 kilometers from the provincial capital of Khost.
Local journalists and witnesses reported the death toll could be as high as 2,500.
Provincial chief Mohammad Amin told VOA that at least 1,000 people were killed, and 1,500 others injured in two districts of Paktika alone.
Videos shared on social media showed flattened homes and rubble. The earthquake also rattled Kabul.
Taliban authorities said people were still under the rubble and rescue efforts, backed by helicopters, were underway. They also urged all aid organizations working in Afghanistan to help in the rescue operations.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, tweeted that his mission was "assessing the needs and responding in the aftermath of the earthquake"
The International Committee of the Red Cross tweeted that it was sending additional medical supplies to three hospitals in the areas affected by the earthquake to enable medical teams to answer to the needs of the patients.
The U.S. Embassy to Kabul, which currently operates out of Doha, said "We are deeply saddened by reports of an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan. We offer our heartfelt condolences to all who have been affected by this devastating event."
Tremors were reportedly felt across more than 500 kilometers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center.
Residents in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and the northwestern city, Peshawar, also said they experienced tremors but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Islamabad extended condolences to Afghanistan over the devastation caused by the earthquake.
"Our authorities and institutions are working to extend required assistance to Afghanistan in coordination with their relevant institutions," said a Pakistani foreign ministry statement.
Get a daily dose of The UK News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to The UK News.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks weakened across the board on Tuesday, led by the tech sector once more. I would say that the largest...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Google One, Alphabet's subscription service that offers cloud storage and AI-powered features, has surpassed...
BEIJING, China: China's sales of heavy trucks could be dominated by electric vehicles by 2028, with battery-powered models potentially...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Apple has blocked access to the popular video game Fortnite on iPhones in the United States and through Epic Games'...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks struggled on Monday as a further downgrading of U.S. debt by Moody's sent the dollar sliding and Treasury...
PARIS, France: Richemont, the owner of luxury brands Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, posted a stronger-than-expected seven percent...
Diu (Daman and Diu) [India], May 20 (ANI): Hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu had a golden start on Day 2 of the first...
Los Angeles [US], May 20 (ANI): The cast of 'Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas' has been unveiled. Ahead of Sherlock...
Diu (Daman and Diu) [India], May 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted sports 'transformative force' and how...
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): The 69th edition of the Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual accolade, is scheduled...
More than 50 young diplomats from 20 countries attended the annual event in Kazan The Russian city of Kazan has hosted a forum of...
Diu (Daman and Diu) [India], May 19 (ANI): The inaugural Khelo India Beach Games 2025 (KIBG) at the Ghoghla beach in Diu got rolling...