6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes part of western Afghanistan where earlier quake killed over 2,000
CTV
Another strong earthquake shook part of western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning after an earlier quake killed more than 2,000 and flattened whole villages. The latest magnitude 6.3 earthquake was about 28 kilometres outside Herat, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Another strong earthquake shook part of western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning after an earlier quake killed more than 2,000 and flattened whole villages.
The latest magnitude 6.3 earthquake was about 28 kilometres (17 miles) outside Herat, the capital of Herat province, and 10 kilometres (6 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Wednesday's quake has injured at least 80 people and a landslide has blocked the main Herat-Torghondi highway, Information Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahid Rayan said.
It also flattened all 700 homes in Chahak village, which was untouched by the tremors of previous days. There are mounds of soil where dwellings used to be. But there were no deaths initially reported in Chahak because people have taken shelter in tents this week, fearing for their lives as tremors continue to rock Herat.
Villagers are distraught over the loss of their homes and livestock, often their only possessions, and worry about the coming harsh winter months. Some said they had never seen an earthquake before and wondered when the shaking of the ground would stop.
Many said they have no peace of mind inside the tents for fears the "ground will open and swallow us at any moment."
The epicentre of Saturday's quake was about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, and several aftershocks have been strong, including another of magnitude 6.3 on Saturday.
