Afghanistan earthquake: Over one thousand killed in major tremor
Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in 20 years kills 1,000 and injures 1,500 people in the provinces of Paktika and Khost.
Authorities say hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the underdeveloped region.
Tremors could be felt in neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, where there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Over 1,000 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured in southeastern Afghanistan, the Culture and Information Department has said.
Neighbouring Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said the quake’s epicentre was in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost.
Buildings were also damaged in Khost province, and tremors were felt some 375 kilometres (230 miles) away in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Rescue teams are still searching for others buried under the ground.
The earthquake struck about 44km (27 miles) from the south-eastern city of Khost shortly after 01:30 local time (21:00 Tuesday GMT), when many people were asleep at home.
“Every street you go, you hear people mourning the deaths of their beloved ones. Houses are ruined,” a local journalist in badly-hit Paktika province said.
Earthquakes tend to cause significant damage in Afghanistan, where dwellings in many rural areas are unstable or poorly built.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES