Caleb Ifeanyi Onah, PBA Journalism MenteeA 5.9-magnitude earthquake on wednesday struck the eastern provinces of Paktika and Khost in Afghanistan along the Pakistan border, killing more than 1000 with with about 1,500 injured, reveals Washington Post report.
The incident took place at night around 1:30 a.m. local time near the mountainous area of the country. Tremors were felt in both Kabul and Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
According to USA TODAY, the European seismological agency estimated the earthquake’s tremors were felt over 300 miles by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Considering the time of the strike, it was just one year after the country was overturned by the Taliban group. It is yet to regain its self-economic meltdown, insecurity, humanitarian needs and lack of structural and organisational expertise. This is also coupled up with multiple number of earthquakes and other disasters in the past.
It is a most desperate period when the international community has largely left the country.
The country’s minister for disaster management authority, Maulawi Sharafuddin Muslim, revealed through a news conference that “some villages have been completely destroyed,” as he awaits details of further damages.
He said Afghan prime minister was leading the response, working with state institutions and ministries to “closely coordinate” rescue and relief efforts, Muslim said.
The minister said the government will allocate about $11 million in aid, with about $1,000 to be given to each families of the deceased and $500 each to the injured.
Notably the eastern provinces of Paktika, Khost, and Nangahar respectively was the focal point of the hit said a disaster management spokesman
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