Afghanistan hit by third earthquake in a week

COLOMBO (News 1st): Afghanistan has been struck by a third earthquake in a week, just days after two other quakes killed over 1,000 people. The latest tremor, a magnitude 6.3 quake, struck near the city of Herat, Afghanistan's third-largest city. So far, there have been no reports of casualties, but the quake is likely to have caused further damage to a country already reeling from an economic crisis.

The previous two quakes, which struck on Saturday, hit the Zindajan district of Herat province, about 40km from the city of Herat. The quakes were powerful enough to level entire villages, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers continue to search for survivors.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, due to its location near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. In June 2022, the province of Paktika was hit by a magnitude 5.9 quake which killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The latest earthquake is a further blow to Afghanistan, which is already facing a number of challenges, including a severe economic crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and a wave of violence. The country is also struggling to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The international community has been quick to respond to the latest earthquake, with a number of countries and organizations pledging aid to Afghanistan. However, the scale of the challenge is immense, and it is clear that Afghanistan will need ongoing support in order to rebuild and recover.