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At least 15 killed, 40 injured in string of earthquakes that hit western Afghanistan
At least 15 people have been killed and around 40 others injured after several earthquakes struck Afghanistan’s western Herat province on Saturday, authorities said.
Janan Sayeq, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority, said that the casualties happened in Zinda Jan district of Herat province.
He said that the casualties were likely to increase.
According to the official, some homes in Farah and Badghis provinces were also partially damaged.
Quakes started at about 11am local time, sending crowds of residents and shopkeepers out of buildings in Herat city.
Two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes in Afghanistan occurred at around 11am, followed by a 5.5 magnitude aftershock, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said in a report.
USGS warned that hundreds of fatalities were possible as well as “potentially widespread damage” as past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.
National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Mullah Jan Sayeq told AFP the initial toll was “preliminary” and he feared it would rise as “in the rural and mountainous areas there have been landslides as well”. Mohammad Taleb Shahid, public health director of Herat province also told AFP this is not the final figure and that he believes people are buried under the rubble.
Herat is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan and is the official capital of Herat province which is home to an estimated population of 1.9 million.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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