Over 1,000 people lose their lives in Afghanistan earthquake as locals search for survivors

Rescue workers are currently searching for survivors in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake caused widespread destruction. The earthquake, measuring 6.3 magnitude, struck on Saturday morning in Herat province, an area known for its mud brick homes. Over 1,000 people have been reported dead and more than 500 are currently missing, according to the United Nations. Aid efforts were delayed due to blocked routes and communication issues, with assistance only starting to arrive on Monday. The earthquake primarily affected Zinda Jan, a rural district where the UN estimates that all homes have been completely destroyed. Images from the affected villages show houses reduced to rubble. Residents are using shovels and their bare hands to search for survivors. The local administration faces difficulties in estimating the death toll and missing individuals due to a lack of population records for remote villages and the presence of war-displaced and drought-affected communities. Ill-equipped hospitals have struggled to cope with the influx of over 1,600 injured individuals, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have been providing assistance since Saturday. The need for food, water, medicine, clothes, and shelter is urgent, according to the Taliban government. However, the country's economic crisis has affected the availability of aid, with few countries pledging support so far. Chinese media reported that the Red Cross Society of China has provided emergency cash aid of $200,000. Pakistan has also offered support to Afghanistan in its recovery efforts. Afghanistan experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. In June of last year, a 5.9 magnitude quake in the province of Paktika resulted in over 1,000 deaths and left tens of thousands homeless.