Saturday’s magnitude 6.3 quake and eight aftershocks in Herat province, Afghanistan has killed more than 2,000 people as rescuers continue searching for survivors from the ruins of villages on Sunday.
“2,053 martyrs were killed in 13 villages. 1,240 people are injured. 1,320 houses were completely destroyed,” Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on social media site X, citing the disaster management agency.
Earlier Sunday, deputy government spokesperson Bilal Karimi reported the death toll at more than 1,000.
Dozens of homes were destroyed in Sarboland village of Zinda Jan district which is near the epicenter of the quakes that shook the area for five hours.
“In the very first shake all the houses collapsed,” 42-year-old Bashir Ahmad said, recalling the 11 a.m. temblor.
“Those who were inside the houses were buried.”
“We came home and saw that actually there was nothing left. Everything had turned to sand,” 32-year-old Nek Mohammad told Agence France-Presse, adding that some 30 bodies had been recovered.
In Herat city, residents fled their homes and schools, hospitals and offices evacuated when the first quake was felt. There were few reports of casualties in the metropolitan area, however.
The World Health Organization said more than 600 houses were destroyed or partially damaged across at least 12 villages in Herat province, with some 4,200 people affected.