Strong 6.1-earthquake rocks Afghanistan, kills at least 155 people

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.1 rocked Afghanistan, killing at least 155 people and leaving several others wounded in eastern part of the country and areas bordering Pakistan

The state-run Bakhtar news agency reported the death toll and also informed that the rescuers were arriving by helicopter.

“We call on aid agencies to provide immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted after quake hit several areas bordering Pakistan during the night.

In a tweet, deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, Bilal Karimi, said: “A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.”

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was about 44 km from Khost city in Afghanistan and was at a depth of 51 km.

The quake was felt by the people in Pakistan and India as well, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

The majority of deaths were confirmed in the province of Paktika, where 100 people died and 250 injured, said Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, the head of the Taliban administration’s disaster management authority was reported as saying by news agency Reuters.

Deaths were also reported in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Khost. No immediate casualty or damage was reported from Pakistan.

Tremors were felt in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

With inputs from agencies

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