The epicenter of the earthquake was located near the city of Khost, south of Kabul. The affected areas are the districts of Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan in Paktika province
ROME. The death toll of the strong earthquake that hit Afghanistan in the past few hours is worsening. The latest news from the Afghan agency Pajhwok, which cites local officials, speaks of at least 280 dead and over 250 injured as a result of the quake that hit the Paktika and Khost provinces in the country in the past few hours, which since last August is back in hand to the Taliban. News from the Afghan agency Bakhtar reported by the Chinese Xinhua reported at least 280 dead and 595 injured, with 255 victims in the districts of Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan of Paktika province and another 25 in Khost province. This area is in fact characterized by the sliding of the Indian plate under the Eurasian one. This generates numerous earthquakes and consequently makes this area one of the most dangerous seismic regions in the world, according to what is certified by the US Geological Survey.
Previous tremors
The mountainous area of Afghanistan along the Hindu Kush Mountains, where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate to the north, has long been subject to devastating earthquakes. In 2015, a major earthquake in the north-east of the country killed more than 200 people in Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan. A similar earthquake of 6.1 in 2002 killed around 1,000 people in northern Afghanistan. And in 1998, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast of Afghanistan killed at least 4,500 people. With its neighbors Pakistan and Iran, Afghanistan forms one of the areas with the highest seismic hazard in the world. And earthquakes have devastating consequences.
Relief from Pakistan
“Deeply saddened by the earthquake in Afghanistan which resulted in the loss of innocent lives. The people of Pakistan share the pain and sadness of their Afghan brothers. The competent authorities are working to support Afghanistan in this time of need, ”said Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The strong earthquake of the past few hours was also felt in neighboring Pakistan, including in the capital Islamabad, as reported by the Dawn newspaper. Since last August, the Taliban have returned to power in Afghanistan.
* News being updated
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