Hundreds killed in strong earthquake in eastern Afghanistan

Taliban officials and residents inspect damage to homes in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province after a major earthquake on June 22, 2022, in a photo taken by the Afghan government’s Bakhtar News Agency. Bakhtar News Agency

KABUL, Afghanistan – A strong earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday morning, killing nearly 1,000 people, according to the country’s ruling Taliban regime. At least 920 people were killed and 600 injured in the quake, Maulvi Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of disaster management for the Taliban government, told reporters at a press conference in Kabul, and warned that the death toll could rise as people are likely still trapped underground. . rubble.

Information was slow to emerge after the 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces at around 1:30 a.m. local time. The earthquake was felt in large areas of the country, including the capital, Kabul.

?️SHAKE MAP: Seismic intensity scale (Mercalli) of 5.9 degrees today #earthquake.

At a depth of only 10 km, it is strongly felt in the red areas below, where losses and casualties are most likely concentrated.

Life-saving search and rescue efforts are underway. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/5UGv6st2TW

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA Afghanistan) (OCHAAfg) June 22, 2022

The disaster occurred just two months before the first anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. The international community has largely left the country since the Islamist group took control in August 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of the US military. The lack of foreign government staff, international aid agencies, and infrastructure in the country is likely to complicate relief efforts.

In a tweet, Bilal Karimi, a spokesman for the Taliban regime, urged “all relief agencies to immediately send teams to the area to prevent another disaster.”

Afghan Red Crescent and military personnel work in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province in the wake of the deadly earthquake on June 22, 2022, in a photo released by officials and the state-run Bakhtar News Agency. Bakhtar News Agency

Video clips and photos spread on social media showed military helicopters rushing to the area to evacuate the wounded.

Mawlawi Elias Nasiri, the regional director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society in eastern Afghanistan, said ambulances and rescue workers have arrived at the site, and efforts are underway to find and assist the victims. It was about 3.5 hours’ drive from the provincial capital to the quake zone, he said, and some people may still be under the rubble.

Kawthar, a resident of a village in the Jayan Paktika district, told CBS News by phone that 24 people in his village, including his father, were killed when the quake struck, and more than 30 others were injured.

“Two children and two women are among the victims in one family,” he said, urging the government to provide assistance immediately.

28-year-old Juma Khan, a Gayyan resident, told a CBS News reporter by phone that he “wake up” around 1:30 a.m. and quickly realized it was an earthquake.

“I’ve never felt such an earthquake in my entire life,” he told CBS News. “I jumped out of my room and ran into my brother’s room. I collapsed on them, and found his wife dead while my brother and his three children were injured under the rubble. It took eight hours to get them out of the rubble.”

An image circulated on social media shows one of the houses destroyed by the earthquake that hit the eastern Afghan province of Paktika on June 22, 2022.

“Most of the houses in our village collapsed, and dozens were killed and dozens injured as a result of the impact,” Khan said. “People are digging around the rubble with their hands to find those who are still hopelessly alive. Helicopters of the Taliban government are transporting some seriously injured, but the Taliban do not have the resources and equipment to conduct an effective search and rescue mission.”

Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said an emergency meeting was held at the presidential palace in Kabul, and officials were instructed to provide all possible assistance to the earthquake victims.

“Road and air transport should be used to deliver food, clothes and medicine to those affected,” Mujahid said on Twitter.

Eastern Afghanistan, along with neighboring countries along the Hindu Kush mountain range in South Asia, is highly vulnerable to large earthquakes as the mountains lie above an active geological fault line. Many homes, hospitals, and other buildings in the area are poorly constructed and when earthquakes strike they are prone to collapse.

In 2015, a major earthquake in 2015 killed more than 200 people in the area. Another earthquake of a similar magnitude to that of Wednesday in 2002 killed about 1,000 people in northern Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: the new reality more

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos