Afghanistan Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To 1,000, Taliban Calls For International Help

Afghans in front of the rubble of buildings caused by the earthquake. (Twitter/@KhaledBeydoun)

JAKARTA - The death toll from the magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Afghanistan that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday continues to grow, becoming the deadliest earthquake to hit Afghanistan in two decades.

The quake has killed at least 1,000 people and injured 1,500 in eastern Afghanistan, a ruling Taliban official told the BBC as quoted June 23.

The Taliban is calling for international help for rescue efforts, as pictures show mudslides and houses built from mud in Paktika province.

The quake occurred shortly after 01:30 (21:00 GMT Tuesday) while people were sleeping. Hundreds of houses were destroyed by the quake which occurred at a depth of 51 km (32 miles).

The earthquake struck about 44km from the city of Khost and its tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India. Witnesses reported feeling earthquakes in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The Taliban official asked the UN to "support them in assessing needs and responding to those affected", Sam Mort of Unicef's Kabul unit told the BBC.

Meanwhile, Britain's special representative for Afghanistan, Nigel Casey, said Britain was in touch with the United Nations and was "ready to contribute to the international response".

Separately, local residents described the horrific scene of death and destruction following the quake late at night.

"My children and I screamed. One of our rooms was destroyed. Our neighbors screamed and we saw everyone's rooms," said resident Fatima.

"It destroyed our neighbors' houses. When we arrived, many were dead and injured. They sent us to the hospital. I also saw many bodies," said another resident named Faisal.

"Every street you take you hear people mourning the death of their loved ones," a journalist in Paktika province told the BBC.

Local farmer Alem Wafa burst into tears as he said the official rescue team had not yet reached the remote village of Gyan, one of the areas hardest hit by this earthquake.

"There are no official aid workers, but people from neighboring towns and villages come here to save people. I arrived this morning, and I myself found 40 bodies," he bitterly said.

Most of the dead, he said, were "very young children". The local hospital does not have the capacity to handle such a disaster, the farmer added.

Meanwhile, a doctor in Paktika said medical workers were among the victims.

"We didn't have enough people and facilities before the earthquake, and now the earthquake has damaged what little we had. I don't know how many of our comrades are still alive," she said softly.

Damage to cell phone towers, making post-earthquake communication difficult. Most of the victims so far have been in the Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktika, a local doctor told the BBC. Local media website Etilaat-e Roz reported entire villages in Gayan had been destroyed.