A 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring at least 1,500, according to a report.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 30 miles southwest of the city of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, according to the United States Geological Survey. The state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported that Afghanistan’s Paktika province appears to have sustained the brunt of the temblor’s effects, with numerous houses destroyed and people trapped under the rubble. The news agency has steadily reported greater numbers of causalities in the aftermath of the earthquake and reports said 255 have been killed and 155 injured, citing the head of the Information and Culture Department of the Paktika province.
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“A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses,” Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban, wrote on Twitter.
“We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe,” Karimi added.
Images purportedly from the region shared on social media showed stone houses destroyed by the earthquake and victims being carried out of the rubble on blankets. The state-run news agency also shared video footage of helicopters landing to transport the injured to hospitals.
The convergence of the India and Eurasia tectonic plates in the region of Wednesday’s earthquake “makes this area one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Wednesday’s earthquake is the deadliest in Afghanistan since the 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes, which killed an estimated 1,000 people.
Shaking was felt in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and in parts of the country’s Punjab province, according to the Associated Press. Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said the earthquake was a magnitude 6.1.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center said 119 million people felt the earthquake.
The prime minister of Pakistan offered his condolences to the earthquake’s victims and said his country would support Afghanistan.
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“Deeply grieved to learn about earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief & sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities working to support Afghanistan in this time of need,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Twitter.
The earthquake comes roughly 10 months after the U.S. withdrew troops from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to retake control of the country. The Taliban’s presence has led the international community largely to flee the country, which may complicate relief efforts.
