Herat province in the west of Afghanistan experienced another powerful earthquake in the early hours of Wednesday morning, following a previous quake that claimed the lives of over 2,000 people and devastated entire villages.
Doctors at Herat’s Provincial Hospital said that two people were dead and 117 others were wounded in this morning’s powerful earthquake in Herat. The earthquake has reportedly affected the Injil and Guzara districts more than other areas.
The earthquake was followed by four aftershocks, creating panic among the residents who are still mourning the loss of their relatives and friends in Saturday’s quakes.
The latest earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 6.3, occurred approximately 28 kilometers (17 miles) outside Herat, the capital of Herat province, and reached a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Following Wednesday’s earthquake, a landslide has obstructed the primary Herat-Torghondi highway, said Taliban’s Information Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahid Rayan as quoted by Associated Press.
In addition, the earthquake completely leveled all 700 homes in Chahak village, an area that had remained unscathed by previous tremors. Piles of earth now stand in place of the once-standing dwellings. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of fatalities in Chahak.
This can be attributed to residents seeking refuge in tents over the past week, as they remained apprehensive about their safety amid ongoing tremors in Herat.