Afghanistan: Afghanistan has been struck by a third 6.4-magnitude earthquake in a week.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a 10-kilometer-deep, 6.4-magnitude earthquake hitting the same region as last week’s quakes, causing nearly 2,500 casualties.
On October 15, 2023, the US Geological Survey reported a quake at approximately 8:00 am (local time) with its epicenter located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the western province with the same name. Following the main quake, aftershocks of magnitudes 5.4 and 4.2 were recorded.
The quakes on October 7, 2023, caused extensive damage, leveling entire villages in Herat and marking one of the country’s most devastating events. Recent reports from the UN indicate that over 90 percent of the casualties from a week ago were women and children.
As per an information ministry spokesman, a landslide blocked the main Herat-Toghondi motorway. Additionally, 700 homes were destroyed in Chahak village. According to early reports, there have been no reported casualties. People in Chahak sought refuge in tents, fearing more tremors following the earthquake that shook Herat on October 7, 2023.
Taliban officials stated that over 2,445 people died in the previous earthquakes. They later asserted that thousands had been killed and injured without providing specific numbers. The Taliban mentioned that around 2,000 houses in 20 villages were demolished. Additionally, the affected area, with only one government-run hospital, faces this challenge.
In Naib Rafi, a village with approximately 2,500 residents, locals reported that hardly anyone survived, except for men who were working outside when the earthquake hit. Satellite pictures revealed severe destruction in the Injil district, as per the statement.
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