Western Afghanistan shaken again by major earthquake Deadly attack on teachers: France mobilizes 7,000 soldiers

Western Afghanistan was hit again by a major earthquake within a few days. According to the American Earthquake Observatory USGS, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 on Sunday morning and occurred about 30 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat at a depth of six kilometers. Just a few minutes later, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 followed. Information about damage and injuries was initially not available.

Herat is located in the border province of the same name near Iran and is the largest city in Afghanistan after Kabul. Several earthquakes killed nearly 2,500 people in the region last weekend, according to media reports based on official statistics. More than 2,000 people were injured. The UN emergency aid agency OCHA estimated the death toll at more than 1,000.

Serious earthquakes occur regularly in the region where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates meet. A particularly devastating earthquake in Afghanistan killed more than a thousand people in 2022. In the impoverished country, which has been characterized by bloody fighting for decades, many houses are poorly built. Earthquakes often cause major damage. (sda/dpa)