A 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 200 people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, the second major quake to hit the country in less than two years with the United Nations warning that the death toll could rise as search and rescue efforts continue.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 40km (24 miles) west of the city of Herat at about 11 a.m. on Saturday (06:30 GMT), with at least seven strong aftershocks felt in the neighbouring Badghis and Farah provinces.
The Taliban urged local organisations to reach earthquake-hit areas as soon as possible to help take the injured to hospital, provide shelter for the homeless and deliver food to survivors.
They said security agencies should use all their resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under debris.
“We ask our wealthy compatriots to give any possible cooperation and help to our afflicted brothers,” the Taliban said on X.
In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and mud-brick homes. The quake was Afghanistan’s deadliest in two decades, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring about 1,500.