India To Provide support to Afghan people following Earthquake

Death toll due to earthquake has increased to 1,150!

India said that it is ready to provide Help and support to the people of Afghanistan in their need after a devastating earthquake killed 1,150 people, destroyed houses and displaced thousands in the country.

On Early Wednesday morning, the 6.1 magnitude quake struck the Central Region of Afghanistan and four districts in Patika province - Gayan, Barmala, Naka and Ziruk - as well as Spera district in Khost province, have been badly affected.

"I express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and to all those impacted by the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan," India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said at a Security Council briefing and consultations on Afghanistan on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted that the first India's earthquake relief assistance for the people of Afghanistan has reached Kabul and has been handed over by the Indian team there.

The earthquake registered at a depth of 10 km, UN humanitarian agency United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. OCHA is coordinating the emergency response on behalf of UN agencies and humanitarian partners.

Tirumurti said India has supported the Security Council Resolution 2615 that provided for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan while ensuring that the Security Council would continue to exercise its oversight to guard against any possible diversion of funds and misuse of exemptions from sanctions.

On Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi said that India is ready to provide all possible disaster relief material at the earliest.

"Deeply saddened at the news of the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. My deepest condolences on loss of precious lives of the people there," PM tweeted.