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An earthquake in japanese Afghanistan has killed no less than 255 individuals, state-run information company Bakhtar reported on Wednesday.
“Sadly, final evening there was a extreme earthquake in 4 districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured lots of of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of homes,” native official Bilal Karimi stated on Twitter.
“We urge all assist businesses to ship groups to the realm instantly to stop additional disaster,” Karimi stated.
What we all know to date
The magnitude 6 quake struck round 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the town of Khost, situated close to the border with Pakistan.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, Bakhtar information company’s director basic, stated on Twitter that 90 homes have been destroyed.
Dozens of persons are believed to be trapped below the rubble.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed within the tremors
Rayan stated dozens have been killed and injured within the earthquake within the neighboring Khost province as effectively.
The earthquake’s tremors have been felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million individuals throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, in accordance with the European seismological company EMSC, which put the magnitude at 6.1.
Franz Marty, a contract journalist primarily based in Afghanistan, advised DW that helicopters have been despatched to help in rescue efforts as reaching the distant mountain area takes a several-hours drive.
In accordance with Marty, medics imagine the loss of life toll is probably going a lot increased than the formally confirmed determine, with a health care provider saying round 400 individuals have been killed.
Area weak to earthquakes
Afghanistan’s mountainous northeast lies within the space the place the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate to the north, making the area weak to devastating earthquakes.
In 2015, greater than 200 individuals have been killed in northeastern Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan as a significant earthquake hit.
Round 1,000 individuals have been killed in a 6.1-magnitude quake in 2002, 4 years after one other devastating 6.1 earthquake and subsequent tremors in Afghanistan’s distant northeast killed no less than 4,500 individuals.
fb/kb (AFP, AP, dpa)
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