Hours after a powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 255 people and injured several others in areas bordering Pakistan, visuals shared on social media those injured in rural areas being rushed to helicopters so that they can be airlifted to hospitals.
The Afghanistan government has called on aid agencies to provide immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.#BREAKING :#earthquake struck parts of #Afghanistan.
The quake has caused extensive personal and financial damage to civilians in and around #Paktika province.
The medical and first aid team has arrived to the area to transfer critically injureds to sharana & #kabul#SavePaktika pic.twitter.com/JFCumIEzR9
— (@Taliban_times) June 22, 2022
Gayan district in Paktika province the site of mass casualties and fatalities as a result of earthquake. Disturbing details and reports about destruction from other districts in Paktika and Khost. pic.twitter.com/eoBkVZrVsW
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) June 22, 2022
A powerful 6.1 magnitude Earthquake hits #Afghanistan southeast region Paktika province. Leaving at least 255 dead and over 150 injured. #paktika #Afghanistan #earthquake pic.twitter.com/VG7OCFOvR1
— عزيز (@Aziz0fficial1) June 22, 2022
Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran who hails from one of the regions affected by the earthquake told a local reporter, “Number of dead bodies tragically in bigger numbers. Airforce, ambulances, reduce teams and villagers, everyone helping with the sad situation.”
"I have tragic reports from my native Paktika province, where hundreds of people are killed and wounded in the devastating earthquakes. The homes are destroyed, and people are under the rubbles. The humanitarian organizations are requested for immediate assistance in the area," Zadran tweeted.
Bilal Sarwary, a journalist from Afghanistan quoted a community health worker in Gayan as saying, "Four districts in Paktika affected very badly. Gayan has turned into a mass grave today. Entire villages destroyed. Women and children among those killed and wounded.”
Sarwary tweeted that the number of fatalities in the smaller villages are heartbreaking. "Most of these villagers have lost their sole breadwinners. These remote villages are homes to destitute communities in Gayan and Paktika," he said.
Read more: Strong earthquake kills at least 280 in Afghanistan
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