Earthquake of 4.9 Magnitude On Richter Scale Jolts Western Afghanistan

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 on the Richter scale, once again jolted western Afghanistan on Monday morning.

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center announced that this earthquake occurred 50 kilometres northwest of the Herat city.

This earthquake jolted the region two days after the deadly Herat earthquake on Saturday.

The death toll from powerful earthquakes has crossed 2,000, a senior Taliban leader said, adding the number might rise further in one of the deadliest quakes to hit the country in two decades.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit 40km (24 miles) northwest of the city of Herat at about 11am on Saturday (06:30 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Strong aftershocks were felt in the neighbouring Badghis and Farah provinces.

At least a dozen teams have been scrambled to help with rescue efforts, including from the military and non-profit organisations like the Red Crescent.

The United Nations migration agency has deployed four ambulances with doctors and psychosocial support counsellors to the regional hospital. The World Health Organisation unit in Afghanistan said that it dispatched 12 ambulances to Zenda Jan to shift wounded people to hospitals.

Doctors Without Borders set up five medical tents at Herat Regional Hospital to accommodate up to 80 patients.

In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and mud-brick homes. It was Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in two decades, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring about 1,500.