Aftershocks Rattle Afghanistan for a fifth day, destroying villages and displacing thousands as rescue efforts race against time. Image: AP/Wahidullah Kakar.
(The Post News) – Aftershocks rattle Afghanistan once again, deepening the crisis in a region already devastated by a series of deadly quakes. Within just 12 hours, two intense tremors struck the eastern part of the country, triggering widespread panic and raising urgent concerns about additional casualties and destruction.
These fresh shocks follow a devastating chain of earthquakes that have brought immense suffering to this already struggling nation. Over the past few days, more than 2,200 people have lost their lives, while thousands more are injured or missing. As rescue efforts continue, authorities and aid organizations warn that the situation remains extremely volatile.
The most recent aftershock, with a magnitude of 5.4, hit on Friday morning at a shallow depth of approximately 6.2 miles. Just hours earlier, another quake struck late Thursday night, intensifying fears among survivors. Earlier in the week, a powerful magnitude 6 earthquake, one of the deadliest in recent years, struck just before midnight on Sunday, tearing through the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar. Its shallow depth made the impact even more destructive.
Following that, a second tremor measuring 5.5 rattled the region on Tuesday. This quake disrupted ongoing rescue missions, triggered landslides, and blocked access to remote villages. Many residents, fearful of continued tremors, have chosen to stay outdoors rather than risk returning to their homes, many of which are made from vulnerable materials like stone, mud, and timber.
Aftershocks Rattle Afghanistan as Villages Collapse and Aid Runs Low
Aftershocks Rattle Afghanistan repeatedly, and each tremor adds to the misery of those already displaced. Villages have been reduced to rubble, with more than 6,700 homes destroyed. In the worst affected areas, emergency crews are still recovering bodies from beneath collapsed structures. Meanwhile, supplies of food, clean water, and medical aid are running dangerously low.
The epicenter of one of the recent quakes was identified in the Shiwa district, near the border with Pakistan. Initial reports suggest significant structural damage in that area, although a full assessment is still underway.
Aftershocks Rattle Afghanistan Amid Ongoing Quake Threats and Relief Delays
Aftershocks rattle Afghanistan frequently due to its location along the seismically active Hindu Kush region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. This geological tension often results in powerful earthquakes that are difficult to predict and even harder to recover from.
Humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations, are now racing to deliver emergency relief. However, limited access, ongoing security issues, and dwindling international aid make recovery a daunting challenge.
As aftershocks rattle Afghanistan for a fifth consecutive day, the people of this quake-prone nation are left to cope with unimaginable loss while bracing for what might still come.
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