more than 2,000 dead after a powerful earthquake on Saturday in the west of the country

The toll continues to rise. More than 2,000 people died in a violent earthquake that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, causing enormous damage, according to figures released by a spokesperson for the Taliban government, Sunday October 8. Zabihullah Mujahid explains on X (formerly Twitter), Zabihullah Mujahid: “2,053 martyrs died in 13 villages. 1,240 people were injured. 1,320 houses were completely destroyed.”

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake, which struck areas 30 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat on Saturday, was followed by eight strong aftershocks. In the village of Sarboland in the Zinda Jan district, dozens of houses were destroyed, an AFP journalist noted at nightfall on Saturday.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 600 houses were destroyed or partially damaged in at least twelve villages in Herat province. In total, 4,200 people were affected in one way or another by the earthquake, according to the same source. On Saturday, the WHO warned that “the number of casualties is expected to increase as search and rescue operations continue”.