At least 250 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake has devastated Eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 250 people. Hundreds more were injured and countless homes were destroyed in 4 districts of Paktika province after the earthquake struck in the early hours of this morning, while most people were sleeping.

The epicentre was 44 kilometres from the southeastern city of Khost near the border of Pakistan, at a depth of around 51 kilometres.

The earthquake struck across 500 kilometres of Afghanistan and tremors were felt as far as Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. However, the damage caused in Kabul and Islamabad was minimal, according to BBC Urdu.

“We call on agencies to provide immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” tweeted government spokesperson Bilal Karimi.

Photos posted on social media show villages in Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province completely turned to rubble. Locals are posting updates on Twitter under the hashtag #SavePaktika.

Local news agencies reported that helicopters and ambulances from neighbouring provinces have been sent to assist the injured.

The death toll is expected to rise as authorities discover more bodies.

SOURCE: BBC