A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Saturday causing one death and dozens of injuries, officials said, predicting the toll could rise amid reports of landslides and building collapses.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicentre was 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of the region’s largest city of Herat, and was followed by five aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.5, 4.7, 6.3, 5.9 and 4.6.
Crowds of residents and shopkeepers fled buildings in the city at around 11am (6:30am GMT) as the quakes began, causing 25 injuries and a single fatality, according to a Taliban government spokesman.
“We were in our offices and suddenly the building started shaking,” 45-year-old Herat resident Bashir Ahmad told AFP.
“Wall plasters started to fall down and the walls got cracks, some walls and parts of the building collapsed.” “I am not able to contact my family, network connections are disconnected. I am too worried and scared, it was horrifying,” he said.
National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Mullah Jan Sayeq told AFP the initial toll was “preliminary” and he feared it would rise as “in the rural and mountainous areas there have been landslides as well”.
“Currently, we don’t have all the information and details,” he said.
