Earthquakes in Afghanistan cause over 2,200 deaths, followed by two potent aftershocks

Earthquakes Strike Quake-Prone Region of Afghanistan, Causing Devastation and Loss of Life

In a region already grappling with war, poverty, and shrinking aid, a series of powerful earthquakes have struck Afghanistan, raising fears of more deaths and destruction.

The epicenter of Thursday's earthquake was in the district of Shiwa near the border with Pakistan, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). This earthquake followed another on Thursday night and a smaller quake earlier in the week. The week's first earthquake of magnitude 6 struck in Afghanistan, causing damage and destruction in the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar at a shallow depth of 6 miles.

Rescue workers have been pulling bodies from the rubble, as villages in both Nangarhar and Kunar provinces have been flattened by the quakes. The Taliban administration has estimated 2,205 deaths and 3,640 injuries from the earthquakes. Naqibullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the health department in Nangarhar province, provided initial reports of damage from Thursday's earthquake.

Continuous aftershocks have hit the province of Nangarhar, and details of the damage are still being collected. More than 6,700 homes were destroyed in the earlier earthquakes, and about 2,200 people died in the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan in just four days. A second quake of magnitude 5.5 occurred on Tuesday, causing panic and cutting off roads to villages in remote areas.

The earthquakes mainly occur in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The United Nations and other agencies have warned of a critical need for food, medical supplies, and shelter for survivors in the quake-prone region. Some families in the affected regions have chosen to stay in the open as a precaution against aftershocks due to houses being built mostly of dry masonry, stone, and timber.

The Taliban's control in Afghanistan has not been explicitly discussed in relation to earthquake aid in these reports. However, the international community has been urged to provide assistance to the affected areas. The situation remains fluid, and updates on the damage and casualties are still being reported.

Earthquakes in Afghanistan cause over 2,200 deaths, followed by two potent aftershocks