1,000 killed, 1,500 hurt in Afghanistan quake

Kabul, June 22

A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the deadliest quakes in decades, the state-run news agency reported. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise.

Deadliest calamity in decades

• Buildings were damaged in Khost province and tremors were felt some 375 km away in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad
• Shaking was felt by about 119 million people in Pak, Af and India, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said
• The 6.1 magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged terrain of the east. It is claimed to be deadliest calamity in decades

Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 temblor near the Pakistani border, but quakes of that strength can cause serious damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Experts put the depth at just 10 km — another factor that could lead to severe destruction.

Rescuers rushed to the area by helicopter on Wednesday, but the response is likely to be complicated since many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Reaching rural areas even in the best circumstances remains difficult in Afghanistan, a landlocked nation just smaller than Texas with rutted mountain roadways that may now have sustained significant damage.In light of those difficulties, a Taliban official asked for international help. — AP

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