Tue 18 January 2022:
As a result of an earthquake that struck western Afghanistan on Monday, at least 26 people were killed, four more were critically injured, and hundreds of homes were demolished or damaged, according to local officials.
On Monday, the western province of Badghis was jolted by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. According to local officials, the Qades area, which was supposedly the epicenter of the earthquake, was hit harder than other regions of the province.
“The earthquake caused massive damage to houses, about 700 to 1,000 have been damaged,” Badghis provincial spokesman Baz Mohammad Sarwary said in a video message.
“There is the possibility that the casualties could increase.”
Images circulating on social media showed residents, including children, searching through the rubble of collapsed homes for belongings and essential items.
A Taliban team was in the area assisting in the relief work.
Some of the victims, including women and children, died when the roofs of their houses collapsed, officials said.
The quake also inflicted damage on the residents of Muqr district but details, including casualties, are still unavailable.
Search and rescue operations have begun, according to local officials, who added that because Badghis is a hilly province, the number of casualties could rise.
At least 26 people were killed in an earthquake today in Qadis district of #Badghis province, #Afghanistan a local official said, and casualties included women and children.#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/NT1yVW40OQ
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) January 18, 2022
Mullah Mohammad Saleh Pordel, district governor of Qades district, said: “In addition to those killed, several others were injured in this earthquake.”
According to local officials, women and children were among those killed.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 30 km (18.64 miles).
The Islamic Emirate says that 800 houses were destroyed or sustained damage as a result of the earthquake, according to a statement published by Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
The Islamic Emirate has directed the State Ministry for Natural Disasters, as well as local institutions, to assist and support the victims. It has also urged humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to the residents of Badghis.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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