A massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday, with 263 people reported deaths in the two countries.
The earthquake's tremors were some of the worst Afghanistan has ever experienced, said Afghanistan's chief executive officer, Abdullah Abdullah, who noted that the government is doing its utmost to get assistance to those affected. The tremors were felt hundreds of miles away from the epicentre in Jurm, in northeast Afghanistan.
Afghan officials reported 33 people dead and over 300 people injured, but those figures are expected to rise as rescue efforts continue across the region. The Afghan death toll included 12 schoolgirls caught in a stampede to escape their school building in Taluqan, near the epicentre. “They fell under the feet of other students,” said Abdul Razaq Zinda, head of the Afghan National Disaster Management Agency, to BBC News.
In Pakistan, 228 people were killed and over 1,000 people injured. One of the most affected regions was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where authorities have said 179 people have died and 1,800 have been injured.
"Things are not looking in our favour,” said Pervez Khattak, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to The Guardian. “The provincial government was trying to build up the infrastructure in these areas but this earthquake came all of sudden. I fear for more deaths in Upper Chitral, Dir and other areas.”
The earthquake also affected Kabul, where residents felt the tremors for up to 45 seconds as walls cracked and electricity went out. There were also swaying buildings in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and even in New Delhi, where people evacuated their buildings.
According to seismologists, the earthquake was not as impactful as others because its centre was not underground. The countries are on an active plate boundary, and the region is often hit by earthquakes, like in September 2013, when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Balochistan Province in Pakistan.
People Gathering Outside in Kabul, Where the Ground Shook for 45 Seconds — Photo Credit: BBC
For now, both the Afghan and Pakistani governments have not appealed for any international help. Pakistan has sent out its military to deal with rescue efforts, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered his services for the affected regions in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, efforts are hampered by the remoteness of the regions affected, as mobile phone network lines are cut off, and bad weather and landslides also present difficulties.
Main Image Photo Credit: BBC
Rumnique Nannar
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Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...
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