Kabul, Afghanistan - The earthquake in the Herat province of Afghanistan has claimed over 4,000 lives and destroyed thousands of residential houses, Khaama Press reported, citing the Taliban ministry.
The Ministry of Disaster Management of Afghanistan announced on Saturday that 1,983 residential houses have also been destroyed in 20 villages in Herat.
The Taliban has not yet broken down the number of deaths and injuries brought on by the earthquake in Herat. The Ministry reported in a news release that 35 national and foreign search and rescue teams with 1,000 individuals were on the scene of the earthquake on Monday following a press conference in Kabul, according to Khaama Press.
The Taliban said that a team led by the group's commander, Hibatullah Akhundzada, also travelled to Herat and pledged support for earthquake victims.
According to the Taliban, rescue and relief efforts for those buried under debris are still under way.
The European Union and the World Health Organization have pledged cash, food, and medical aid to the Herat earthquake victims.
Herat and surrounding regions were shaken by the magnitude-6.3 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks on Saturday.
The province's Zinda Jan and Ghorian districts saw the majority of the fatalities. Moreover, the Disaster Management Authority head of the region, Maulvi Musa Ashari, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the earthquake had razed 12 villages and wounded 600 people in the two districts.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), six earthquakes occurred in western Afghanistan; the largest one was at a magnitude of 6.3. Based on the information from the USGS, the latest earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 occurred at a depth of 7.7 km in the "Zinda Jan district of Herat".
The quake was also felt in the nearby provinces of Farah and Badghis, according to local media reports.
Asian News International