An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hit western Afghanistan at around 11:00 local time (06:30 GMT) which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people and injured 78 others. The death toll might increase amid the reports of landslides and building collapses.
The epicentre was about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Herat, the largest city in the area based on the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Five aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.5, 4.7, 6.3, 5.9, and 4.6 occurred after the primary tremor.
People are out on the streets of Herat city after a 6.10 richter earthquake hit the region. #herat #earthquake #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/44MqBKoaM7
— Masood Shnizai (@ShnizaiM) October 7, 2023
A 45-year-old local from Herat stated, “We were in our offices and suddenly the building started shaking. Wall plasters started to fall down and the walls got cracks, some walls and parts of the building collapsed. I am not able to contact my family, network connections are disconnected. I am too worried and scared, it was horrifying.” A health official reported that the city’s primary hospital was treating more than 70 wounded individuals.
A spokesperson for the national disaster management organisation mentioned that the first death toll was “preliminary” and that he expected it to grow because “there have been landslides as well in the rural and mountainous areas.” He added, “Currently, we don’t have all the information and details.”
Hundreds of fatalities were predicted, per an early analysis of USGS. “Significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.”
The cultural centre of Afghanistan, Herat is 120 kilometres (km) east of the Iranian border. According to 2019 World Bank estimates, the province is anticipated to be home to 1.9 million people. The Hindu Kush mountain range which is situated close to the meeting point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes that frequently strike the nation.
More than 1,000 people were killed and tens of thousands of people were left homeless when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the province of Paktika in June of last year.
