Afghanistan hit by third quake in one week as death toll tops 2,200
A 5.6-magnitude quake on Thursday night sparked panic as residents fled their homes.
A magnitude 5.6 quake shook Afghanistan's remote southeast on Thursday night, marking the third tremor in a week. Authorities said the death toll from Sunday's 6.0-magnitude temblor has risen to 2,200.
The shallow quake, recorded at 20:56 local time (15:36 GMT), drove residents in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces into open areas in panic.
No official casualties were reported immediately, but medical teams said 17 injured were admitted to Kunar Provincial Hospital.
Earlier, Taliban authorities had updated the toll from Sunday's quake to 2,200 dead and 3,600 wounded.
The region's rugged mountains have hampered rescue and relief efforts, officials said.
A previous 5.5-magnitude quake on Tuesday disrupted operations, which rely mainly on helicopters as landslides block roads to remote hamlets.
Aftershocks continue to jolt the area.
"Search and rescue are ongoing, temporary shelters are in place and emergency supplies are being distributed," deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on X.
The Taliban regime, recognized only by Russia, has appealed for international aid. The UN released emergency funds and the UK has pledged £1m ($1.3m) in assistance.
Afghanistan lies on several fault lines at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian plates, making it highly susceptible to earthquakes.
Last year, a series of 6.3-magnitude quakes near Herat killed more than 1,400 people. In 2022, a 5.9-magnitude tremor in the east killed at least 1,000 and injured 3,000.
Three successive earthquakes in southeastern Afghanistan have compounded a mounting humanitarian crisis, straining rescue operations amid rugged terrain and ongoing aftershocks.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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