ISLAMABAD, June 22 (KUNA) - The death toll of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan rose to 920 people while over 600 people have been injured on Wednesday, said Afghan disaster management officials.
Afghan deputy Minister of State for Disaster Management, Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim in a news conference confirmed that 920 people were killed and 610 were injured in the earthquake that jolted several provinces of Afghanistan. He announced a compensation package for the killed and injured by the government and appealed for foreign aid in order to alleviate the problem.
Helicopters were deployed in the rescue effort to reach the injured and fly in medical supplies and food, said an interior ministry official, Salahuddin Ayubi. "The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details," said Ayubi.
The eastern Paktia province is the worst hit where 255 people were killed and more than 200 others got wounded. In the province of Khost, 25 people were dead and 90 had been taken to hospital, while at least five people were killed in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The supreme leader of the ruling Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada offered his condolences in a statement. The Islamic Emirate's spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that an emergency cabinet meeting was held on Wednesday morning to discuss assistance for the people affected by the earthquake.
"In addition to helping the people affected by the earthquake, all relevant organizations were tasked to send rescue teams," he said. Immediately after the earthquake was reported, the government of Pakistan extended condolences and sympathies over the loss of lives and damage to property in the neighbouring country.
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan was standing with Afghan brothers and sisters in this difficult time and promised to provide all possible assistance. (end) sbk.aa