Afghanistan Earthquake: At Least 1,000 People Killed And Over 1,500 Injured

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A massive earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan overnight Wednesday, killing more than 1,000 and injuring more than 1,500, government officials said.

The earthquake flattened homes while many people were sleeping, with its epicenter in the mountainous area near the country’s border with Pakistan — about 27 miles from the city of Khost — according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which put the magnitude at 6.1.

Tremors were also felt in Pakistan and India, according to Pakistan’s National Seismic Monitoring Center.

Maulawi Sharafuddin Muslim, acting deputy minister for the country’s disaster management authority, said at a news conference that “some villages have been completely destroyed.” Muslim said he was relaying information from rescue officials and was “waiting for the details about the damages to houses.”

He said an emergency cabinet meeting had been convened and that Afghanistan’s prime minister was leading the response, working with state institutions and ministries to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.

The government will allocate about $11 million in aid, Muslim said, with about $1,000 to be given to families of the deceased and $500 each to the injured.

Source:Washington Post