At least eight people have died and more than 185 were injured by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Afghanistan early Monday, hitting the population while they slept and once again exposing the country’s extreme vulnerability to natural disasters.
The highest number of victims so far was recorded in Balkh provincewhere authorities reported six deaths and more than 70 injuries in the Khulm district.
In addition, one person was killed and more than 100 injured in the provincial capital, Aybak, while another fatality and 15 injured were reported in Hazrat Sultan district, Samangan Public Health Chief Qari Lutfullah Habibi told the media.
The earthquake was recorded at 1:00 a.m. local time (9:30 p.m. Spanish peninsular time), with its epicenter 22 kilometers from the city of Khulm, in the province of Balkh, and at a depth of 28 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake was felt strongly in Kabuland in several provinces in the north and northeast of the country, including Balkh, Samangan, Kunduz, Takhar and Bamiyan.
Taliban authorities indicated that rescue teams are assessing damage in remote areas, and warned that the number of victims could rise as communications are restored.
The Government’s deputy press secretary, Hamdullah Fitrat, announced that The contact numbers of the military bodies for emergencies have been released.
Afghanistan is located on a collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The fragility of infrastructure and adobe constructions in rural areas multiply the lethality of earthquakes.