Strong earthquake in Afghanistan. At least several casualties reported

At least 15 people were killed and several dozen were injured on Saturday morning as a result of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Herat province, in western Afghanistan - a representative of the Afghan central authorities told Reuters.

The AFP agency, citing a representative of medical services in the province of Herat, reported 14 fatalities and 78 injured.

The authorities fear that the number of earthquake fatalities will increase, as there may still be many people under the rubble of collapsed buildings. So far, it is not known what the extent of the damage is.

As reported by the BBC, after the initial earthquake, there were three stronger tremors.

"We were in our offices and suddenly the building started shaking. Plaster started falling off the walls, cracks appeared on the walls, some walls and parts of the building collapsed. I can't contact my family, the network connections are broken. I'm very scared, it was terrifying" - Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Herat, told AFP agency.

BBC, citing a city official, reports that over 70 wounded have been admitted to the main hospital in the city of Herat.

Herat is located approximately 75 miles east of the border with Iran and is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan. According to World Bank data from 2019, it is estimated that about 1.9 million people live in the province.

This country is often affected by earthquakes, especially in the Hindukush mountain range, located near the intersection of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

In June of last year, an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit the Paktika province, killing over 1000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Source: PAP, BBC, AFP