Kabul: Twice earthquakes in Badghis province, west of Afghanistan, shook the border area with Turkmenistan and killed at least 22 people.
The death toll may rise as relief and rescue operations are still underway in remote villages affected by the quake. Bas Mohamed Sarwari, head of the province’s culture and information department, said several houses collapsed in the devastation caused by the quake.
According to the US Geological Survey, the first quake of magnitude 5.3 was felt at around 2 p.m. local time, while the second quake of 4.9 was felt at around 4 p.m.
According to Sarvari, Kadis district, located in the southern part of the province, suffered the most damage and the most casualties.
In 2015, a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake centered in a mountain range ripped through South Asia, killing around 280 people, with a large number of deaths in Pakistan.
At the time of that horrific disaster, 12 young Afghan girls trying to escape from a trembling school building were crushed to death in a stampede.