Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:19am on 07 Oct 2023,Saturday International
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 14 people and injuring over 70 so far. The epicenter was near the city of Herat, where buildings collapsed and residents fled outside in panic. Aftershocks continued for over an hour. Officials fear casualties could rise sharply as assessments come in from remote mountainous areas. Hundreds may be killed according to USGS, which termed it a potentially widespread disaster. Last year, over 1000 died in a quake in Paktika province. Afghanistan's terrain makes it prone to frequent seismic activity and damage. This latest powerful tremor has brought further suffering to the crisis-hit nation.
