6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Herat province in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, more than 100 people were injured and sent to hospital after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Herat province yesterday, October 11. This comes just days after two large quakes claimed over 2,000 lives in the same region. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest earthquake was about 28 kilometres outside Herat, the capital of Herat province. 

The wider impact is not yet clear as information on damage from the latest tremor was not immediately available. However, many were sleeping in the



open after their homes were destroyed on Saturday. 

According to reports, nearly 2,000 houses in 20 villages were destroyed in the earlier quakes. Aid agencies have said that there is also a shortage of blankets, food and other supplies. The area hit by the quakes has just one government-run hospital. Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range as it lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.