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Afghanistan earthquake of magnitude 6 causes hundreds to be injured and possibly dead

Authorities said that hundreds of people were injured and dead in an earthquake measuring 6 on Monday in Afghanistan's rugged, northeastern province, Kunar. Rescuers searched through the rubble to find survivors.

The health ministry reported that early reports indicated 30 deaths in one village. However, it added that more accurate figures were yet to be collected in an area with scattered hamlets and a history of earthquakes, flooding, and other natural disasters.

In a press release, Sharafat Z. Zaman, spokesperson for the health ministry, said that "the number of casualties is high but because it is difficult to reach, our teams remain on site."

Najibullah Hansif, provincial head of information, confirmed that hundreds of people were injured and taken to hospitals. The number is likely to increase as more reports come in from areas without roads.

Officials said that rescuers are working to demolish homes made of mud or stone in the districts along the border of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Afghanistan is susceptible to deadly earthquakes. This is especially true in the Hindu Kush range of mountains, where Indian and Eurasian plates collide.

The vulnerability of the poorest country in the world to natural disasters was highlighted by a series of earthquakes that struck its west last year. Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Saeed Shahid in Islamabad and Mrinmay dey; writing by Ariba Shah; editing by Tom Hogue, Clarence Fernandez and Clarence Fernandez

(source: Reuters)