A strong earthquake about 44 kilometers (27 miles) away from the city of Khost in the southeast, Afghanistan has killed at least 250 people and injured numerous others.
Social media users posted images of the Paktika province’s destroyed homes, rubble, and people on stretchers.
More than 250 people have already died, and the number of injured people is expected to climb,
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, tremors were felt along more than 500 km of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Witnesses claimed to have felt the earthquake in Islamabad, Pakistan, as well as Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
“Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses,” Government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted. “We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.”
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake, which occurred in the wee hours while most people were still asleep, had a magnitude of 6.1 and occurred at a depth of about 51 kilometers.
