In pics | Afghanistan hit by the deadliest earthquake in years

More than 2,400 people have been killed and and over 2,000 injured, according to the Taliban administration, after one of the world's deadliest earthquakes struck Afghanistan as rescue efforts were are still on to save people trapped under the rubble, on Monday (Oct 9). 

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that women and children make up two-thirds of the victims who were hospitalized with severe injuries. 

Janan Sayeeq, spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, said in a message to Reuters that the toll had risen to 2,445, but he revised down the number of injured to “more than 2,000”. Earlier, he had said that 9,240 people had been injured.

He further said that “many are still trapped” as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed more than 1,300 houses and “completely perished” several villages.

About six villages have been destroyed and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris, as the Taliban called for urgent help.

Ten rescue teams were in the area which borders Iran, Sayeeq added.

"The earthquake happened around 11 in the morning, when men were out of the houses, so majority of those who are injured and died are women and children who were inside the houses at the time," WHO's Dr Alaa AbouZeid told Reuters in a video interview.

"Two-thirds of those with severe injuries who are admitted in the hospital I have seen yesterday are children and women," he said, referring to his time in the Afghan city of Herat following the quake. 

The WHO official told the news agency that it was "devastating" to see the number of children in hospital in critical condition. 

"I have seen a child like 3-4 months old with head trauma, due to the earthquake," said AbouZeid, adding that these kinds of injuries can cause long-lasting debilitating effects or disabilities. 

 

Saturday’s tremblor was recorded about 40km from the western city of Herat. Many buildings were damaged, trapping people under rubble as the region witnessed at least three powerful aftershocks.

The head of the Taliban political office in Qatar Suhail Shaheen has said that Afghanistan needs food, drinking water, medicine, clothes and tents urgently for rescue and relief. 

At least a dozen teams have been scrambled to help with rescue efforts, including from the military and non-profit organisations like the Red Crescent. 

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders set up five medical tents at Herat Regional Hospital to accommodate up to 80 patients. Authorities have treated more than 300 patients, according to the agency.

The World Health Organization unit in Afghanistan said it dispatched 12 ambulances to Zendeh Jan to shift wounded people to hospitals.

Meanwhile, the United Nations migration agency said it has deployed four ambulances with doctors and psychosocial support counsellors to the regional hospital.

At least three mobile health teams are on their way to the Zenda Jan district, which is one of the worst affected areas. The WHO unit in Afghanistan said it dispatched 12 ambulances to Zendeh Jan to shift wounded people to hospitals.

Notably, Afghanistan's healthcare system, largely reliant on foreign aid has faced crippling cuts since the Taliban took over in 2021 and much international assistance was halted. 

The UN's humanitarian office has announced $5 million worth of assistance but the immediate material support is limited, with Pakistan, Iran and China having pledged to send in food, blankets, medicines, tents and funds and Turkey's foreign office saying that Ankara was ready to provide support for the recovery efforts in the affected areas. 

AbouZeid told Reuters how the financing of the humanitarian operations remained critical since global attention and funding are shifting away from Afghanistan which could be attributed to competing or emerging crises like the Israel-Hamas war or the Ukraine war not to mention the Taliban's restrictions on women. 

"The news diverted to what's going on in the Middle East over the past two days and there was very little attention," towards the existing crisis in Afghanistan AbouZeid told Reuters. 

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range as it lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.