Kabul (TDI): According to Afghanistan Red Crescent, a humanitarian organization active on ground in rescue efforts, the number of deaths from the earthquake has crossed 1100 and more are feared buried under the rubble.
The earthquake which struck the eastern Kunar and Nangarhar provinces on Monday midnight has left 3251 injured and 8000 houses collapsed.
The mountainous terrain and weather conditions are making rescue work challenging but both the Taliban government and humanitarian organizations are busy rushing injured to hospitals in Kabul and adjacent Jalalabad.
Tents and aid are also being sent to the affected areas while the Taliban government used helicopters for early rescue.
Rescue operations were carried out in four badly hit villages in Kunar on Monday and efforts will now be focused on reaching more remote mountain areas, said Ehsanullah Ehsan, the provincial head of disaster management, as quoted by Reuters.
Read More: Midnight Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills Over 600, Entire Villages Collapsed
“We cannot accurately predict how many bodies might still be trapped under the rubble,” said Ehsan. “Our effort is to complete these operations as soon as possible and to begin distributing aid to the affected families.”
Mountainous terrain, absence of proper roads, and now collapsed houses are all making it difficult for rescue to reach people.
Afghanistan’s eastern region is very prone to deadly and devastating earthquakes. Mud infrastructure is also one reason the earthquakes’ impact is deadly.
In 2022, these same provinces were hit hard by a earthquake which claimed 1000 lives. Next year, a powerful 6.3 earthquake struck the western Herat province, in which 2000 people lost lives.
The UN office in the country is also delivery rescue, support, and aid while condolences have poured in from many countries across the world. The UN official has said that terrain-hindered access to affected areas is the reason why more deaths are feared.
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