Afghanistan, Death Toll Surges Over 1,000 Due to Strong Earthquake

Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Northwestern Afghanistan
Shallow Hypocenter at 14km Depth Suspected
"Unfortunately, the Actual Number of Casualties Is Very High"

The death toll from the strong earthquake that occurred in Afghanistan on the 7th (local time) has surged to over 1,000.

Major foreign media reported this on the 8th, citing the words of an Afghan government spokesperson. Government spokesperson Willa Karimi said, "Unfortunately, the number of casualties is actually very high," adding, "The death toll is over 1,000."

June 22 of last year) Houses in Paktika Province, southeastern Afghanistan, were reduced to rubble by a strong earthquake. On that day, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Paktika Province, reportedly killing over 1,000 people and destroying nearly 2,000 homes.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

An official from the Herat Province Health Department added that bodies are dispersed across several hospitals, making it difficult to confirm the exact number of deaths.

Since the damage assessment is still ongoing, the casualty figures appear to be fluid.

Earlier, the Red Crescent (Islamic Red Cross) cited a Herat Province Health Department official, reporting the death toll as 500.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northwestern Afghanistan at around 11:11 a.m. on the 7th, followed by eight strong aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.3 to 6.3. The epicenter was located 40 km northwest of Herat, the capital of Herat Province, with a relatively shallow focal depth of 14 km.

Herat, located 120 km east of the Iranian border, is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan. According to World Bank data from 2019, approximately 1.9 million people live in Herat.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.