News - At Least 15 Dead and 40 Injured in Afghanistan Earthquake

A series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan on Saturday resulted in at least 15 fatalities and 40 injuries, according to an official from the disaster management authority, as reported by Reuters. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake's magnitude at 6.3, with subsequent tremors occurring 35 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat. The reported casualty figures are based on initial reports from the Zinda Jan district in Herat province, as stated by Mullah Jan Sayek, the spokesperson for Afghanistan's disaster management ministry. The earthquakes also affected the provinces of Farah and Badghis, with reports of significant damage to residential buildings, although there are no specific details regarding casualties in those areas as of yet. Ambulance teams and volunteers are gearing up to provide assistance to Herat and tend to the injured, according to Erfanullah Sharafzoi, spokesperson for the Afghan Red Crescent. Earlier, Iran's Mehr agency reported a series of earthquakes occurring in both Iran and Afghanistan. These tremors were also felt in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, according to the report.