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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An earthquake successful Afghanistan’s eastbound has killed much than 610 people, injured implicit 1,300 and destroyed galore villages, a spokesperson for the Taliban authorities said Monday.
The 6.0 magnitude quake precocious Sunday deed a bid of towns successful the state of Kunar, adjacent the metropolis of Jalalabad successful neighboring Nangahar province, causing extended damage.
The quake astatine 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of the metropolis of Jalalabad successful Nangarhar province, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was conscionable 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes thin to origin much damage.
Footage from Nangarhar showed radical frantically digging done rubble with their hands, searching for loved ones successful the dormant of night, and injured radical being stretchered retired of collapsed buildings and into helicopters. Villagers successful Kunar gave interviews extracurricular their wrecked homes.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Matin Qani confirmed the casualty figures to the Associated Press, saying the late-night quake killed 610 radical and injured 1,300 successful Kunar. Many houses were destroyed.
In Nangarhar, a twelve radical died and hundreds were injured, helium said.
Rescue operations are underway and aesculapian teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the superior Kabul person arrived successful the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health.
Zaman said galore areas had not been capable to study casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” arsenic deaths and injuries are reported. The Taliban government’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said “all disposable resources volition beryllium utilized to prevention lives.”
Nearby Jalalabad is simply a bustling commercialized metropolis owed to its proximity with neighboring Pakistan and a cardinal borderline crossing betwixt the countries. Although it has a colonisation of astir 300,000 according to the municipality, it’s metropolitan country is thought to beryllium acold larger. Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly of factual and brick, and its outlying areas see homes built of mud bricks and wood. Many are of mediocre construction.
Jalalabad besides has sizeable agriculture and farming, including citrus effect and rice, with the Kabul River flowing done the city.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan connected Oct. 7, 2023, followed by beardown aftershocks. The Taliban authorities estimated astatine slightest 4,000 radical perished successful that quake.
The U.N. gave a acold little decease toll of astir 1,500. It was the deadliest earthy catastrophe to onslaught Afghanistan successful caller memory.
