The death toll from the earthquakes that shook the western part of Afghanistan on Saturday has risen to 2,000, according to the authorities. Earlier Saturday, the authorities reported 1,000 dead. The first quake had a magnitude of 6.3, according to the US Geological Survey. At least eight earthquakes hit the areas, with a magnitude of between 4.6 and 6.3. It was parts of the provinces of Herat, Farah and Baghdis that were affected. The earthquake’s epicenter was 40 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat. Houses collapsed: Many people are living in the ruins of their houses, including here in the village of Sarbuland in Herat province Photo: AFP It has been reported that at least 1,300 homes have been destroyed. In addition, landslides are said to have occurred in nearby rural and mountainous areas. The mobile network is down in several places, which makes it more difficult to get in touch with those affected. Herat Herat is considered Afghanistan’s cultural capital and is located around 120 kilometers east of the border with Iran. The city has a population of 1.9 million people, according to figures from the World Bank in 2019. – We were in our offices, and suddenly the building started shaking. Wall plaster began to fall down, and the walls developed cracks. Some walls and parts of the building collapsed, 45-year-old Bashir Ahmad, who lives in Herat, told AFP. Herat: People gathered in the streets of the city after the first quake. Photo: AFP – I can’t get in touch with my family because the internet is down. I am worried and scared. It was horrible, he says. The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan said on Saturday that it has sent 12 ambulances to Zinda Jan to evacuate the injured to hospital. Mulla Janan Sayeeq, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Crisis Management. Photo: AFP Mulla Janan Sayeeq, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Crisis Management, tells Reuters that the preliminary number of dead is up to 2053. It is the Islamist Taliban movement that controls the government in Afghanistan. – The authorities have registered many thousands of injured and over 1,300 completely or partially destroyed homes, says Sayeeq. Several residents of Herat told on Saturday about the panic when the tremors hit the city. – We were in our offices, and suddenly the building started shaking. Plaster began to fall down, and the walls cracked. Some walls and parts of the building collapsed, 45-year-old Bashir Ahmad, who lives in Herat, told the AFP news agency. – I can’t get in touch with my family because the internet is down. I am worried and scared. It was horrible, he says. Afraid to go indoors – It was absolutely terrible, I have never experienced anything like this before, says 21-year-old student Idrees Arsala to AFP. Photo: AP He was the last student to safely evacuate the classroom in Herat on Saturday afternoon. Resident Abdul Shakor Samadi says his family was afraid to re-enter the house as a result of the quake. – Houses, offices and shops are empty, and there are fears of new earthquakes, he said on Saturday.
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