The quake struck about 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 51 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, head of the Taliban administration’s Ministry of Natural Disasters, said earlier that most of the deaths were in Paktika province. Interior Ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi said most of the deaths were in Paktika province, where more than 250 people were killed and another 200 injured, Geo News reported. He added that in Khost province, 25 people were killed and 90 were taken to hospital. Authorities say they expect the death toll to rise further as search and rescue operations continue. “The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are located in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to gather details,” Mr Ayubi said. Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter: “A strong earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our compatriots and destroying dozens of homes. “We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further disaster.” Rescuers arrived at the scene by helicopter, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported. However, activists said the Taliban government in Afghanistan was facing a challenge to conduct effective rescue and rehabilitation operations, both because of the mountainous geography of the affected area and because of the country’s deep economic crisis. “It will be a dangerous operation, there are efforts from the Afghan government and international organizations, but that is not enough for the people in this situation,” local activist Hidayatullah Paktin told the Independent. “Apart from rescue operations, there is a problem of rain, there is no food or shelter for many,” he added. “Afghanistan is already suffering from a critical economic crisis. There are international sanctions and a large part of the population is suffering from poverty.” Mr Paktin said the quake-stricken population also suffered the most from poverty. The isolated mountainous area of Paktika, where the quake occurred, was full of traditional type houses made of earth and concrete, which had already been destroyed by the monsoons, he explains. “The area has a population of very poor people who do not have modern homes,” he said. Photos and videos also showed people being rescued from the rubble by stretchers. In this photo released by a Bakhtar news agency, Afghans evacuate earthquake victims in Paktika province, eastern Afghanistan, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar news agency via AP) (AP) “Every street you go, you hear people mourning the death of their loved ones. “The houses are in ruins,” a local journalist in Paktika province told BBC News. “Many people are unaware of their relatives’ well-being because their phones do not work,” another local journalist was quoted as saying. “My brother and his family died and I found out after many hours. “Many villages have been destroyed.” Residents said the quake affected homes and immediately resulted in deaths and injuries. A local named Fatima said: “The children and I were screaming. One of our rooms was destroyed. “Our neighbors screamed and we saw everyone’s rooms.” “It destroyed the houses of our neighbors,” said a Faisal resident. “When we arrived there were many dead and wounded. They sent us to the hospital. I also saw many corpses.” The tremors were felt more than 500 kilometers away in areas such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said in a tweet. There were reports of damage to homes in some remote parts of Pakistan near the Afghan border, but it was not immediately clear if it was due to rain or an earthquake, according to Taimoor Khan, a spokesman for disaster management in the area. The Pakistan Meteorological Agency also measured the quake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, as far as the capital Islamabad and elsewhere in the eastern province of Punjab. In a statement, Pakistani Prime Minister Sehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences and said aid was being provided to Afghanistan. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the earthquake in Afghanistan, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief and sorrow of their Afghan brothers. “The authorities are working to support Afghanistan in this time of need,” he said in a tweet. The highlands of Afghanistan are prone to earthquakes where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate in the north. More than 200 people in Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan were killed in 2015 when a devastating earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan. In 2002, about 1,000 people were killed in a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in northern Afghanistan. Another 6.1-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks in northeastern Afghanistan killed at least 4,500 people in 1998. Wednesday’s quake comes as Afghanistan comes under severe economic pressure after the US withdrew its forces and took control of the country from the Taliban last August.
