At least 320 people have been killed after a series of powerful earthquaks hit western Afghanistan, the UN has said.
The epicentre of the original magnitude 6.3 earthquake was 24.8 miles (40km) north-west of the region’s largest city, Herat. It was followed by an aftershock with a 5.5 magnitude, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
Crowds of residents fled buildings in the city at about 11am as the quakes began, lasting for over an hour. There have been reports of landslides and people being trapped under buildings
“We were in our offices and suddenly the building started shaking,” 45-year-old Herat resident Bashir Ahmad told Agence-France Presse. “Wall plasters started to fall down and the walls got cracks, some walls and parts of the building collapsed.”
In a country described as “Historically prone to earthquakes” I wonder what kind of earthquake resistant architecture is present. You have to wonder if the level of wealth available to the general population has something to do with that.