A powerful earthquake of 6.1 magnitudes struck the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in the early hours of Wednesday, killing up to 280 people and razing hundreds of houses.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 46 kilometres southwest of Khost, Afghanistan, with tremors felt in North Waziristan, Swat, Buner, Mehmand, Malakand, Peshawar, Kohat, Shabqadar, Bhakkar, Phalia, Kamalia, and Multan.
The tremors caused a wave of fear and panic among the citizens, who fled their homes in terror while reciting Kalima Tayyeba.
The tremors were felt for 30 to 40 seconds, according to witnesses. So far, there have been no reports of casualties or property damage in Pakistan.
According to preliminary reports, at least 280 people were killed and hundreds of houses were destroyed in Afghanistan as a result of a powerful earthquake.
According to local sources, no government assistance has yet arrived in the quake-ravaged areas, and people are fending for themselves in Khaisur, Dangar Lagad, Afghan Dubai, Barmil, and other nearby areas destroyed by the tremors.
According to the BBC, citing Bakhtar News Agency, the earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 280 people and injured many more. According to the BNA, the death toll was likely to rise, and more than 600 people were injured.
Social media images showed people on stretchers, rubble, and ruined homes in the eastern Paktika province.
“Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses,” government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted.
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, which was quoted by Reuters, tremors were felt across more than 500 kilometres of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Witnesses reported feeling the quake in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, according to the centre.
At least 40 people were killed in the overnight earthquake, according to AFP.
According to officials, a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 40 people and injured 60 others bordering Pakistan, with the death toll expected to rise.
“We call on aid agencies to provide immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted after a 5.9-magnitude quake hit several areas bordering Pakistan during the night.
Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the Information and Culture Department in Paktika, one of the provinces hit by the tremor, told AFP the toll is expected to rise.
Government officials said they would soon release details of casualties and damage caused by the quake.
Several heavily damaged mud houses in remote rural areas were photographed and shared on social media.
On Friday, powerful twin earthquakes jolted many cities, including Islamabad.
The first earthquake occurred on Friday afternoon and shook several areas in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Kashmir. In the evening, the second earthquake jolted the region, including Islamabad.
The magnitude of the earthquake, which struck at 2:25 p.m., was five on the Richter Scale, and its epicentre was near the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, according to the seismic centre. It struck at a depth of 218 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface.
The earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Okara, Faisalabad, Attock, Multan, Jalalpur Bhattian, Bhakkar, Murree, Hafizabad and Mianwali.
The cities which were shaken by the earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were Malakand, Swat, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Mingora, Peshawar, Swabi, Upper Dir, Buner, Mardan, Diamer, Kohat and Shangla.
The Azad Kashmir’s cities of Rawalakot and Bagh were also jolted by the powerful earthquake.
The earthquake lasted for a few seconds, causing fear across the whole region. The citizens were forced to run for safety, and away from their residences and offices.
PM Shehbaz expresses sorrow
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in Afghanistan as a result of the earthquake.
The prime minister said in a statement that Pakistan was standing by its Afghan brothers and sisters during this difficult time. He vowed to provide all possible assistance to the Afghan people, directing the relevant authorities to assist the affected Afghans.
In a tweet, the premier said: “Deeply grieved to learn about earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief & sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities working to support Afghanistan in this time of need.”
