A powerful earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck northeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, as the region continues to grapple with the aftermath of a devastating quake on Sunday night that resulted in over 1,400 deaths and more than 3,100 injuries.
The epicenter of this latest tremor was located just a few kilometers from the previous quake, which plunged thousands of families into despair around midnight on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest tolls the country has experienced in recent decades.
Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of additional casualties or damage following the new quake. Ehsanullah Ehsan, head of the Kunar Provincial Disaster Management Authority, noted that such “aftershocks are common.”
In the wake of the initial quake, the overwhelming majority of fatalities (1,411 dead, 3,124 injured) were reported in Kunar province, where rescuers continue to sift through the rubble, and healthcare workers strive to comfort those who have lost everything.
Rahmatullah Khaksar, the emergency director at a hospital in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, revealed that they have treated 600 injured individuals since Sunday evening.
“The majority of our patients are suffering from trauma, with injuries to the head, back, abdomen, and legs,” he explained.
“For those without family members, we have designated part of the hospital for them to stay until they can reunite with their loved ones,” he added.
Both earthquakes were centered approximately thirty kilometers from Jalalabad at a depth of about ten kilometers, which accounts for the significant death toll and widespread destruction.
