Around 4,500 people killed or injured in Afghanistan earthquake, official says

(9 Oct 2023) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Kabul and Zenda Jan district of Herat province, Afghanistan - 9 October 2023 1. Various people looking for their belongings amongst rubble 2. Wide of the Ministry of Disaster Management news conference 3. Close of cameraman 4. Mid of journalist 5. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Mullah Janan Sayiq, spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management: “There is an emergency situation, as you know better, there was earthquake during the day, a cleaning operation is going on, as I have repeated many times, cleaning has started there by machinery and people are being pulled out from under the ruins. The numbers are changing, the approximate number is about 4,500 dead and wounded.“ 6. Various of a man with his son cleaning debris of his house STORYLINE: Around 4,500 people have been killed or injured in Afghanistan following a earthquake, a Taliban official said during a news conference on Monday. Saturday’s magnitude 6.3 quake hit a densely populated area in Afghanistan's western province Herat and was followed by strong aftershocks in what was one of the deadliest temblors to strike the country in two decades. “The numbers are changing, the approximate number is about 4,500 dead and wounded,“ said Mullah Janan Sayiq, spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management. The quake also trapped hundreds and people have been digging with their bare hands and shovels to pull victims — both dead and alive — from under the rubble. Sayiq said that a “cleaning operation“ has begun in the affected areas. “Cleaning has started there by machinery and people are being pulled out from under the ruins.“ The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, the provincial capital. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks, measuring magnitude 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5, as well as lesser shocks. A global response to the Afghanistan quake has been slow, with much of the world wary of dealing directly with the Taliban government and focused on the deadly escalation between Israel and the Palestinians. Aid agencies and nongovernmental groups have appealed for the international community to come forward but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support, including neighboring China and Pakistan. Some countries, such as Denmark and Norway, have said they will work with international partners and humanitarian agencies on the ground. AP Video shot by Omid Haqjo and Mohammad Habib Rahmani. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel 44(0)2074827482 Email: info@. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: