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Afghanistan earthquake: More than 900 people were killed after the 5.9-magnitude earthquake

Afghanistan earthquake: More than 900 people were killed after the 5.9-magnitude earthquake

It is considered the deadliest earthquake to hit the Asian country in decades.

The quake struck at 1.24 a.m. 46 kilometers (28.5 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, which is near the country’s border with Pakistan, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, which has set a yellow quake alert level — indicating a relatively local impact.

The death toll has exceeded 900 and at least 600 people have been injured in the quake, Sharafuddin Muslim, Deputy Minister of State for Disaster Management, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The ministry said that most of the deaths were in Paktika province in the districts of Jayan, Nika, Barmal and Zerok.

The disaster management authority in the neighboring province of Khost said that 25 people were killed and several others were injured, and five people were also killed in Nangarhar province.

Pictures from Paktika state, just south of Khost state, show homes reduced to rubble with only a wall or two still standing amid the rubble and broken roof beams.

Najibullah Saeed, an Afghan Water Resources Department expert, said the quake coincided with heavy monsoon rains in the area – making traditional homes, many made of clay and other natural materials, particularly vulnerable to damage.

“The timing of the earthquake (in) the darkness of the night … and the shallow depth of 10 kilometers from its epicenter led to a greater number of casualties,” he added.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said that a team of paramedics and seven helicopters have been dispatched to the area to take the injured to nearby hospitals.

The earthquake struck at 1:24 am, 46 km southwest of the city of Khost.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban held an emergency meeting to organize the transportation of the wounded and material assistance to the victims and their families.

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Mujahid said in a tweet on Twitter that Prime Minister Muhammad Hassan Akhund called for the meeting at the country’s presidential palace to direct all concerned agencies to send emergency relief teams to the affected area.

“Measures have also been taken to provide cash aid and treatment,” Mujahid said, adding that “agencies have been instructed to use air and land transport to deliver food, clothes, medicine and other necessities and to transport the wounded.”

The World Health Organization said in a tweet on Wednesday that its teams are on the ground to respond to emergencies, including providing medicines, casualty services and conducting needs assessments.

Afghan Red Crescent Society volunteers help people affected by the earthquake in the Ghayan region.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif offered his condolences and offered his support in a tweet on Twitter on Wednesday. “Very sad to learn more about the earthquake that struck Afghanistan, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives,” he wrote. “The people of Pakistan share their grief and sorrow with their Afghan brothers. The relevant authorities are working to support Afghanistan in this time of need.”

India expressed its “sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families,” according to a tweet by a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.

Pope Francis said he was praying “for those who have lost their lives and for their families,” during his weekly meeting on Wednesday. “I hope that assistance will be sent there to help all the suffering of the dear Afghan people.”

The earthquake comes at a time when the country is going through a hunger crisis. Nearly half of the population – 20 million people – suffer from acute hunger, according to a UN-backed report in May. The situation worsened with the Taliban seizing power in August 2021, which prompted the United States and its allies to freeze about $7 billion in the country’s foreign reserves and cut international funding.

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The move has crippled an economy already heavily dependent on aid.

CNN’s Hoda Messia contributed to this report.