Deadly earthquake of magnitude 5.3 in Afghanistan

Published on : 01/17/2022 – 21:09

An earthquake killed at least 26 people and injured Monday, January 17, in western Afghanistan, local authorities announced.

The victims perished when their homes in Qadis district, Badghis province, collapsed, district governor Mohammad Saleh told AFP. The quake had a magnitude of 5.3, according to the United States Seismological Institute (USGS).

“There were also injuries in the earthquake,” said the Afghan official. Among the victims are five women and four children, Baz Mohammad Sarwary, spokesman for Badghis province, told AFP.

Weak houses

This earthquake comes at a time when Afghanistan is already suffering from a catastrophic humanitarian situation, fueled by severe droughts during the year, which particularly affected remote and rural provinces such as Badghis.

The situation was aggravated by the return to power of the Taliban in August, which caused the cessation of massive international aid which financed almost 80% of the country’s budget.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range which lies at the junction between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

These earthquakes can be particularly devastating due to the low resistance of rural Afghan homes.

In 2015, nearly 200 people died in the country following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, which claimed even more victims in neighboring Pakistan.

Among the Afghan victims were 12 young girls trampled in a panic as they tried to get out of their tottering school.

With AFP