Afghanistan: More than 320 people killed in Herat earthquake

More than 320 people have been killed and hundreds feared wounded in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Afghanistan, Herat, according to the United Nations.

Local officials in Herat said that over 30 people have died and more than 600 others have been injured in several earthquakes in this province, reported the Pajhwok Afghan News.

According to officials, twelve villages in Zinda Jan and Ghoryan districts have been completely destroyed.

Earlier, Janan Saiq, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Disaster Management, said that at least 15 people in three villages of the “Zinda Jan” district of Herat died in today’s earthquake and nearly 40 others were injured, reported Tolo News.

The spokesman of the ministry said in a video that some houses in Farah and Badghis provinces were also partially destroyed.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), six earthquakes occurred in western Afghanistan the largest one was at a magnitude of 6.3.

Based on the information from (USGS), the latest earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 occurred at a depth of 7.7 km in the “Zinda Jan district of Herat.”

The quake also was felt in the nearby provinces of Farah and Badghis, according to local media reports.

Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, situated near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

A powerful earthquake struck the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan in June 2022 killing over 1000 people and injuring approximately 1500, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.