It was indicated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1 and was located in eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan; it is feared that the death toll could rise dramatically

A powerful earthquake shook eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing hundreds of people according to initial reports.

Although the information was still somewhat scarce, the BBC reported that the figure of at least 250 dead will surely rise , according to local authorities, as it is suspected that there are more people under the rubble of the destroyed buildings.

The Meteorological Department of Pakistan, a neighboring country of Afghanistan and where the earthquake was also felt, indicated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1. The epicenter was initially located about 44 kilometers from the city of Khost, in the east of the country.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.9, with a depth of 10 kilometers .

“Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our compatriots and destroyed dozens of houses,” government spokesman Bilal Karimi said, according to the BBC report .

Images posted on social media showed severely damaged buildings in rural areas that are not densely populated and people are also seen helping the wounded by transferring them to military helicopters.

The European Seismological Agency said the quake was felt over a distance of up to 310 miles by some 119 million humans in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Categorized in:

World