Death Toll Exceeds 2,400...
In Afghanistan, a very powerful earthquake has caused the loss of over 2,400 lives. Rescue teams are working hard to find and help anyone still stuck under collapsed buildings.
This is one of the most deadly earthquakes the country has seen in the past 20 years. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also mentioned that 465 houses have been completely destroyed, and 135 have been damaged.
On Saturday, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit about 40km away from the city of Herat in the west. This caused a lot of buildings to get damaged, leaving people trapped under debris. Additionally, there were at least three powerful aftershocks that followed.
Afghanistan often experiences earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, as it's located near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Just last year, in June, there was a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Paktika province that claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and left tens of thousands without homes.
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