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People gather on the streets in Herat on October 7, 2023. A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck western Afghanistan in the morning, the United States Geological Survey said, followed by four large aftershocks with epicenters near the region’s largest city.
At least 15 people were killed and 40 injured after multiple earthquakes rocked western Afghanistan on Saturday, a disaster management official told Portal.
The quake had a magnitude of 6.3, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and other quakes occurred 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat.
The death toll is based on primary reports from Zinda Jan district in Herat province, said Mullah Jan Sayeq, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Disaster Management.
He added that the earthquakes also hit Farah and Badghis provinces, where there were reports of widespread damage to houses but there was no word yet on casualties there.
Emergency teams and volunteers are preparing to go to Herat and help the victims, said Erfanullah Sharafzoi, spokesman for the Afghan Red Crescent.
The multiple tremors caused panic in Herat, said resident Naseema.
“People have left their houses, we are all on the streets,” she wrote in a text to Portal, adding that the city was feeling follow-up tremors.