A powerful earthquake killed at least 255 people and injured 155 others in Afghanistan early Wednesday, officials said who warned the death toll was likely to rise.
Driving the news: The 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 27 miles from the city of Khōst in southeastern Afghanistan and also shook parts of Pakistan, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
- While the earthquake that the USGS originally reported as 6.1 magnitude hit Khōst province, officials said casualties were reported in Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of neighboring Paktika province near the Pakistani border, according to the government agency Bakhtar News Agency.
What they say : “Unfortunately, last night there was a strong earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our compatriots and destroyed dozens of houses,” spokesperson Bilal Karimi tweeted. of the ruling Taliban, according to a UKTN translation.
- “We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the region immediately to prevent further disasters,” he added.
The big picture: The earthquake comes after the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned last week that since the Taliban reclaimed the country last August after the United States ended to its military presence, it “has been plunged into a deep economic, social, humanitarian and human rights crisis”. crisis.”
- 93% of all households face “a high level of food insecurity with a differential and devastating impact on the most vulnerable,” Bachelet said in an update to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
- Access to basic services has also declined, with the World Health Organization estimating that 18.1 million people need health services, according to Bachelet.
Editor’s Note: This is a topical article. Please check for updates.
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