Another strong earthquake strikes Afghanistan days after thousands of people were killed
Another strong earthquake shook Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, just days after two major earthquakes in the area killed thousands of people and flattened buildings.
Wednesday’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in the northwest region of the country, 17 miles outside of Herat, and originated 9 miles deep, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Herat’s regional hospital received 117 people with injuries from the earthquake, Doctors Without Borders confirmed.
The quake flattened all 700 homes in the Chahak village, which was untouched by the previous earthquakes, The Associated Press reported. People in the village have taken shelter in tents and are scared of potential aftershocks.
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“So far, over 90% of those reported killed by the earthquake are women and children. And just this morning, another 6.3-magnitude quake shook the western provinces,” UNICEF Afghanistan posted.
The earthquake Saturday, 25 miles northwest of Herat, was one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country, the AP reported. A Taliban government spokesperson said Sunday that 2,000 people died and many more sustained injuries.
The initial quake was followed by three aftershocks with magnitudes of 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5. People attempted to dig out the dead and possible survivors from beneath collapsed buildings with their hands Sunday.
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, where there are a number of fault lines and frequent movement along tectonic plates. The area is still reeling from a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit it in March, along with nearby Pakistan, and another in June that killed 1,000 people.
Pakistan has offered assistance to the area, but supplies have yet to be shipped out, the AP reported.
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