At least 1,000 dead and injured in Afghanistan earthquake

At least 1,000 people were killed and injured in a series of earthquakes that hit the northwestern part of Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said.

Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority's spokesman Mullah Janan Saiq said the death toll could further rise, adding that the tremors caused heavy damage in northwestern Herat and Badghis provinces.

"Three villages in Herat province were completely destroyed, hundreds of people are still trapped under the debris," Saiq told Anadolu over the phone.

He added that it was difficult to find the exact number of casualties, but so far the figure of 1,000 was reported by local officials.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), strong earthquakes of magnitude 5.5, 5.9, and 6.2 jolted the Afghan provinces. It said the epicenter was 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northwest of Herat city.

The World Health Organization's Afghanistan office said its teams were in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded and assessing additional needs.

Afghanistan earthquake death toll rises to 2,000: Taliban officials

The death toll from powerful earthquakes in western Afghanistan has crossed 2,000, a senior Taliban leader said, adding the number might rise further in one of the deadliest quakes to hit the country in two decades.

Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesperson based in Qatar, told Al Jazeera that many people were missing and rescue operations were under way to save people trapped under the rubble in the wake of a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Herat province.

Shaheen said there was an urgent need for tents, medical and food items in the areas hit by the disaster, as he appealed to local businessmen and NGOs to come forward to help people in need.

On Sunday, people attempted to dig out the dead and injured with their hands in Herat, clambering over rocks and debris. Survivors and victims were trapped under buildings that had crumbled to the ground, their faces grey with dust.

One video, shared online, shows people freeing a baby girl from a collapsed building after being buried up to her neck in debris. A hand is seen cradling the baby's torso as rescuers ease the child out of the ground. Rescuers said it was the baby's mother. It is not clear if the mother survived.

"Besides the 2,060 dead, 1,240 people are injured and 1,320 houses are completely destroyed," said Abdul Wahid Rayan, spokesperson at the Ministry of Information and Culture.

About six villages have been destroyed and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris, he said, calling for urgent help.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit 40km (24 miles) northwest of the city of Herat at about 11am on Saturday (06:30 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Strong aftershocks were felt in the neighbouring Badghis and Farah provinces.

A rescue volunteer, who did not want to be named, from Zenda Jan - the worst affected district located in Herat - said the search and rescue teams were not properly trained and lacked modern equipment.

"Unfortunately we have lost a lot of people in west of Herat in Zenda Jan and Ghorian districts," he said.

"The tragedy is very huge, we cannot define it to you in simple words. People are still trapped in the debris, they are alive, but we cannot reach them."

He urged the UN and other international organisations to provide Afghans with trained search and rescue teams, with modern equipment and rescue dogs to help find those still trapped inside.

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