Afghanistan Earthquake: Death toll crosses 2,000 mark; Taliban seeks help from local organisations

The death toll for the powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan has passed the 2,000-mark. The earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Saturday and has reportedly destroyed 465 houses with a further 135 being damaged, as per the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 

The UN has further stated that local authorities are anticipating the number of casualties to further increase as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people are trapped under the building debris.

The Disaster authority spokesperson Mohammad Abdullah Jan said that four villages in the Zenda Jan district in Herat province have been hit hard by the quake and aftershocks.

The United States Geological Survey  has put the quake’s epicenter at about 40 kilometres northwest of Herat city. This was followed by three strong aftershocks, measuring magnitude of 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5, as well as lesser shocks. As per residents of Herat, atleast five strong tremors struck the city around noon yesterday. 

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation in Afghanistan has stated that it has dispatched 12 ambulance cars to Zenda Jan to evacuate the victims to hospitals.

The Taliban's deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, expressed his condolences to the victims in Herat and Badghis.

The Taliban in the meantime have urged local organisations to reach the affected areas to help take the injured to hospital, provide shelter to the homeless and deliver food to the survivors. The security agencies have also been directed to use all their resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under the debris of destroyed buildings.