The quake struck early Wednesday morning, local time, near the city of Host, south of the capital, Kabul, according to the US Geological Survey. At least 255 people were killed and 155 others were injured in Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province, Afghanistan’s Bakhtar news agency reported on Wednesday morning. Rescue crews were transporting helicopters to the affected areas. At least 255 people were killed and at least 155 were injured in what became known as the Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan areas of Paktika province on Tuesday night. Local officials say the death toll could rise if the central government does not provide emergency assistance. pic.twitter.com/YlByfyArtG – Bakhtar News Agency (@BakhtarNA) June 22, 2022 “Strong and strong tremors” were felt in Kabul 200 kilometers away, according to a resident who posted on the website of the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC). Photos in Afghan media and scoial media showed houses in ruins. Deaths were also reported in the eastern provinces of Khost and Nangarhar, said Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, head of the Taliban administration’s disaster management authority. Bakhtar said local officials feared the death toll could rise if the central government did not provide emergency assistance. “A strong earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our compatriots and destroying dozens of homes,” Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter. “We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further disaster.” The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued. The tremors were felt in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere in the eastern province of Punjab. The European Mediterranean Seismological Center also said the quake was felt in Pakistan east of the epicenter.
