Death Toll Reaches 2,445, Afghanistan Earthquake Is Recorded As One Of The Deadly This Year

Earthquake in Afghanistan. (Twitter/@AmuTelevision)

JAKARTA - The death toll from the earthquake that hit Afghanistan reached 2,400, the Taliban government said on Sunday, becoming the country's deadliest earthquake in years.

The earthquake that rocked Afghanistan on Saturday measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, occurred 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, according to the United States (USGS) Geological Survey.

The quake was one of the deadliest earthquakes in the world this year, after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed about 50,000 people in February.

Janan Sayeeq, a spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, told Reuters in his message, as quoted October 9, the death toll had risen to 2,445, but he revised the number of injured to "more than 2,000". Previously, he mentioned 9,240 people were injured.

Sayeeq also said 1,320 houses were damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, the death toll jumped from 500 previously reported on Sunday by the Red Crescent.

Ten rescue teams are in an area bordering Iran, Sayeeq said at a news conference.

Separately, Herat's Department of Health official identified himself as Dr. Danish said more than 200 people had been taken to various hospitals, adding most of them were women and children.

"The body has been taken to several places" military bases, hospitals, said Danish.

In Qatar, head of the Taliban's political office Suhail Shaheen said in his message to the media, food, drinking water, medicines, clothing and tents were urgently needed for rescue and assistance.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Sunday's report stated that there were a total of 202 public health facilities in Herat Province, one of which was a large regional hospital that houses 500 fatalities.

Most of these facilities are a smaller basic health center and logistical challenges hinder operations, particularly in remote areas, the WHO said.

"While search and rescue operations are still ongoing, victims in the area have not been fully identified," the WHO explained.