Dog searches for family lost in Afghanistan earthquake: ‘He keeps coming back, wailing’

In Afghanistan, a dog returns to the site of his home destroyed in the earthquake (Image credit: SSamiraSR/Twitter)

A heartbreaking photograph shows a dog at the site of his destroyed family home in Afghanistan. The dog reportedly kept returning to the site in search of his family members, who were all killed in the earthquake that struck parts of the country last week.

The photo was shared on Twitter by a user named Samira, an employee of International Rescue Committee. She said that neighbours took the dog in after his family was killed in the earthquake, but the loyal pooch never gave up searching for his loved ones. Every day, he returned to the site of his destroyed home, crying as he looked for his family members.

“Every person in the house this dog belongs to was killed in the earthquake,” Samira wrote. “Neighbours said they took him with them to feed/take care of. He keeps coming back to the destroyed house and wails.”

She added that the photo was taken in Ochki village in the Gayan district of Paktika province.

Every person in the house this dog belongs to was killed in the earthquake. Neighbours said they took him with them to feed/take care of. He keeps coming back to the destroyed house and wails.
Ochki village in Gayan, Paktika.#AfghanistanEarthquake #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/A7oCoGIn2V

— Samira SR (@SSamiraSR) June 26, 2022

In other tweets, Samira shared heartbreaking scenes of devastation in Paktika, where the earthquake has destroyed homes, killed people and left thousands homeless.

This is Slashah village in Gayan, Paktika. Dozens dead, many injured. Those that remain are homeless, sleeping outside trying to come to terms with the fact that their entire lives were destroyed in seconds. #AfghanistanEarthquake pic.twitter.com/wjZm9KSqXB

— Samira SR (@SSamiraSR) June 26, 2022

The 5.9-magnitude quake last Wednesday hit hardest in impoverished Paktika province in east Afghanistan, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

The UN humanitarian agency said that it and its partners had launched an appeal for $110 million to urgently help 362,000 people for the next three months in the worst affected areas of Paktika and Khost provinces.

(With inputs from AFP)