2,053 people were killed in a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan. Here’s what to know Earthquake news.


Officials say 9,240 people were injured and 1,320 homes were damaged or destroyed.

A powerful earthquake has struck Afghanistan, shaking the mountainous country and leaving a trail of death and destruction.

What happened and where?

  • A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Saturday, followed by three powerful aftershocks.
  • According to officials, around six villages were destroyed and hundreds of people were buried under the debris.

Where did it happen?

  • The United States Geological Survey said the epicenter occurred about 40 kilometers (25 mi) northwest of Herat, the capital of Herat province.
  • The first earthquake was followed by three strong aftershocks, as well as smaller aftershocks.
INTERACTIVE_AFGHANISTAN_EARTHQUAKE_OCT8_2023 (1)-1696763139
(Al Jazeera)

How many casualties?

  • Disaster Ministry spokesman Janan Saeed said 2,053 people were killed, 9,240 injured and 1,320 houses damaged or destroyed. The death toll rose past 500, the Red Crescent reported on Sunday.
  • More than 200 of the dead have been brought to various hospitals, a Herat health department official said, adding that most of them were women and children.
  • The quakes come a year after an estimated 50,000 people were killed in tremors in Turkey and Syria in February. About 3,000 people were killed in the earthquakes that hit Morocco in September.

What is the latest on earth?

  • Qatar-based Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen told Al Jazeera that many people are missing and rescue operations are underway to rescue those buried under the rubble.
  • Shaheen said that there is an urgent need for tents, medical and food items in the disaster affected areas. He appealed to local business owners and NGOs to come forward to help the needy.
  • In Herat on Sunday, people climbed over rocks and debris to try to pull out the dead and injured with their own hands. Survivors and victims, their faces black with dust, were trapped under buildings that had collapsed.

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