At least 3 killed, 44 injured after 6.8 magnitude quake jolts Afghanistan

The death toll stands at three after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 jolted Afghanistan on Tuesday, Khaama Press reported citing the Taliban-led Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan.

At least 44 people have been injured due to the quake, the strong tremors of which were also felt in Pakistan.

However, the casualties may rise as the earthquake reported was powerful and felt in most parts of the country.

"There could be more casualties as the quake was so powerful in most parts of the country," including Badakhshan, Takhar, and Laghman provinces, Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the public health ministry said to Khaama Press.

Also, it is reported that the majority of fatalities and injuries occurred when people's homes' roofs fell in various regions of the nation. Furthermore, according to Shafiullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the ministry in charge of disaster mitigation of the Taliban, two individuals died as a result of the earthquake in the province of Laghman, the Afghan news agency reported.

According to preliminary information shared by EMSC, an earthquake of magnitude of 6.8 struck 77km southeast of Faizabad in Afghanistan.

The Chaman fault is nearby, making the area susceptible to catastrophic earthquakes. There have been several in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have resulted in deaths and property damage, according to TOLOnews.

Previously on March 18, an earthquake of magnitude 4.3 occurred 213 km east of Fayzabad, Afghanistan.

"Earthquake of Magnitude:4.3, Occurred on 18-03-2023, 06:51:03 IST, Lat: 37.04 & Long: 72.96, Depth: 105 Km, Location: 213km E of Fayzabad, Afghanistan," NCS wrote in a tweet.