People flee from earthquake-hit areas in Afghanistan

Since October 7, a series of powerful earthquakes have rocked Afghanistan's western Herat province, flattening villages, burying families and leaving thousands homeless as winter approaches.

People flee from the earthquake zone in Afghanistan photo 1 — Afghan people search for injured people in the earthquakes. Photo: AFP

In the rural district of Injil, near the epicenter of the October 15 earthquake, 64-year-old Rustam was lucky to survive as the quake destroyed the remains of his house and buried him.

“We heard a very terrible and scary sound,” he said. “When we entered the house, we heard what sounded like a bomb going off and everything started to collapse.”

His neighbor in Ghar Mushak village, 57-year-old Khudadad, also said the house he had hoped to repair had been reduced to rubble. “We are desperate,” he said. “We have nowhere to stay, it’s like we are in a desert.”

Yahya Kalilah, head of the Afghanistan program for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said two people were killed and 154 injured in the new earthquake in Herat province.

“The situation is dire. People are panicking and traumatized,” he said. “People don’t feel safe. I can 100 percent guarantee that no one will be sleeping in their homes in the coming days.”

The epicenter of the latest quake was 33 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Afghanistan's provincial capital Herat and was followed by aftershocks measuring 5.4, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Officials said more than 528 prisoners were released from Herat province and neighboring Badghis province because prisons were "at risk of collapse" due to damage from the earthquake.

According to the Prison Service, those released included prisoners who had served most of their sentences and showed signs of good behavior. Many residents of Herat city had to be evacuated due to the risk of aftershocks.

Mr Kalilah, the MSF official, predicted “casualties will be low” in the October 15 earthquake because people in the worst-hit areas had been living outdoors after their homes were destroyed last week.

Oxford University seismologist Zakeria Shnizai warned of further tremors in the coming days. “The adjustment process could take some time, from days to weeks or even months,” he said.

Hoang Nam (according to AFP)

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