The epicenter of the earthquake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, was located thirty kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Herat, the second largest city in Afghanistan. The quakes lasted for five hours, damaging or destroying more than 600 homes in the area, according to the World Health Organization.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 600 homes were partially or completely destroyed in Herat Province in at least a dozen villages. About 4,200 people are said to have been affected by the earthquake in one way or another. In the largest hospital in the provincial capital, Herat alone, nearly two hundred deaths and about seven hundred infections were reported, according to medical circles.
Afghanistan is regularly exposed to earthquakes, and the Hindu Kush Mountains are particularly sensitive to severe shocks, because the Arabian, Indian, and Eurasian tectonic plates meet there. After decades of conflict, most homes have fallen into disrepair, which is why earthquakes usually cause so much damage.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and the subsequent withdrawal of international aid, the country has also been in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis.
