82 dead, 300 injured in quake-hit Afghanistan

Afghan officials have confirmed that at least 82 people died and 300 others were injured following the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit the country with Hindu Kush as epicenter.

The worst-hit areas were Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan, Parwan, Nangarhar and Kunduz provinces, said officials, adding that the death toll is expected to rise, TOLONews reported.

Officials said one of their primary concerns was the lack of communication with some areas after mobile network services went down after the quake.

Service was restored after a few hours in Kabul and other parts of the country, but the remote areas were still experiencing outages.

Aid agencies have started relief operations, said officials.