Hunt for survivors ongoing after severe earthquake in Afghanistan
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The powerful earthquake in Afghanistan left at least 22 people dead and caused massive damage to infrastructure.
Officials reported rescuers looking for survivors after a 5.3 magnitude earthquake rattled a remote western province of Afghanistan and left at least 22 dead.
Homes were seriously damaged in the Qadis district in Badghis province.
In a video broadcast, the Badghis provincial spokesman Baz Mohammad Sarwary disclosed that the earthquake caused "massive" damage to houses, noting that 700 to 1,000 sustained damages.
Afghanistan is already experiencing a humanitarian disaster, which has been exacerbated by the US freezing Afghan funds following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.
The death toll was verified by the Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
Images on social media circulated showing residents, including children, digging among the ruins of demolished homes
According to government officials, rescue personnel is assisting in the hunt for survivors and transporting the injured to local hospitals.
A Taliban team was in the region to help with relief efforts.
Mujahid stated that all government agencies had been directed to offer food, medical assistance, and shelter to those in need. He also called on "international aid agencies and humanitarian agencies to assist the victims of the disaster."
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed 380 people in 2015 when an earthquake slammed across Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Last week, the United Nations said $5 billion in aid for Afghanistan is needed by 2022 to avert a humanitarian disaster and give the war-torn country a future after 40 years of suffering.
The UN said in its largest-ever single-country appeal that $4.4 billion was needed within Afghanistan, with an additional $623 million needed to support the millions of Afghans seeking refuge beyond its borders.
According to the UN, 22 million people inside Afghanistan and 5.7 million displaced Afghans in five neighboring countries require immediate assistance this year.
Earthquakes occur often in Afghanistan, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain region, which is located at the confluence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
