The quake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the USGS, which set the quake at a yellow alert level – indicating a relatively localized impact. The victims were reported in Barmal, Zirok, Nika and Giyan areas of Paktika province, with more than 600 injured, according to Bakhtar. Local officials and residents have warned that the death toll is likely to rise, according to Bahar. The full details of the victims are not yet clear and CNN is unable to independently confirm Bakhtar’s report. Photos from Paktika Province, just south of Khost Province, show damaged houses with only one or two walls still standing between the rubble and broken roof beams. Najibullah Sadid, Afghanistan’s water management expert, said the quake coincided with heavy monsoon rains in the area – making traditional houses, much of the mud and other natural materials particularly vulnerable to damage. “The time of the earthquake (in) the darkness of night … and the small depth of 10 kilometers of its epicenter led to higher casualties,” he added. A Taliban spokesman, Bilal Karimi, said the quake was “serious” and called on humanitarian agencies to “send emergency teams” to the affected area. In a tweet Wednesday, the World Health Organization said its teams are on the ground to deal with emergencies, including providing medicine, trauma services and conducting needs assessments. Pakistani Prime Minister Sehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences and support in a tweet on Wednesday. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the earthquake in Afghanistan, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives,” he wrote. “People in Pakistan share the grief and sorrow of their Afghan brothers. The authorities are working to support Afghanistan in this time of need.” This is a story that unfolds.
