The 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the Pakistani border
At least 280 people were killed in the earthquake measuring 6.1 on the open Richter scale recorded Tuesday night in the East Afghan province of Jost, near the border with Pakistan, Afghan authorities have confirmed.
At least 255 people have been killed and 155 injured in the districts of Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan, according to information gathered by the Afghan state news agency Bakhtar News Agency, all in Paktika province, the worst affected province.
Similarly, another 25 people have died and about a hundred in the Sapari district of Khost province. Local authorities have warned that the death toll could rise in the coming hours due to the high number of injured and the seriousness of the condition of some.
The aforementioned agency has also published a series of photos showing earthquake victims and property damage caused by the earthquake in Paktika province, including collapsed houses.
“Unfortunately, last night there was a massive earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our fellow citizens and destroying dozens of homes,” said Afghan government spokesman Bilal Karimi.
“We are asking all aid organizations to immediately send teams to the area to prevent a bigger disaster,” he said in a message on his official account on the social network Twitter.
The earthquake had its epicenter about 44 kilometers from the city of Jost, while the epicenter was at a depth of about 51 kilometers, according to data published on its website by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Pakistani media have reported that a mild earthquake shook the capital Islamabad and other parts of the country, with Pakistani authorities not yet making any statement about possible casualties on their territory.
Source: La Verdad
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