Kunar Residents After Deadly Earthquake: “There Is Death in Every House”

Photo: Wahidullah Kakar/AP via Guardian

The Guardian has reported that residents of Kunar are speaking of catastrophic conditions following last night’s deadly earthquake.

Mohammad Aziz, a resident of Noorgul district in Kunar, told The Guardian that 10 of his relatives, including five of his children, were killed in the quake and many people in his village remain trapped under the rubble.

He said: “The poor people in this area have lost everything. There is death in every home, and beneath the rubble of each roof, there are dead bodies. The mud houses have been wiped away, and destruction is everywhere. People are desperately seeking help.”

Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has stated that more than 1.2 million people felt strong tremors from the quake and that at least five aftershocks were recorded throughout the night.

It is worth noting that the 6-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan’s eastern provinces at around 11:47 pm on Sunday night, with mountainous Kunar being the hardest hit.

The epicenter was registered 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad and about 140 kilometers from Kabul. Reports indicate that the earthquake was shallow, which contributed to the widespread destruction.