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Earthquake death toll in Afghanistan tops 84
A day after a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan, at least 84 people died and nearly 500 others were injured in northern parts of the country, according to The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA).
(ANDMA) says that the magnitude-7.5 quake, which was centered deep beneath the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan’s sparsely populated Badakhshan province that borders Pakistan, Tajikistan and China damages more than 3900 homes in 12 provinces of the country.
Earthquakes at this depth typically cause less damage on the surface than shallower quakes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Our initial assessment shows that immediate need is not for food, but for tents, blankets and warm clothes because the weather is getting cold,” Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, said in a video message.
The death toll is expected to rise as search teams reach remote areas that were cut off by the 7.5-magnitude quake, which triggered landslides and stampedes as it toppled buildings and severed communication lines.
The prolonged tremors were some of the worst the region has experienced in recent years and were felt hundreds of miles from the epicentre in Jurm, north-east Afghanistan.
Badakhshan local officials have called for the earlier aid agencies to send help.
According to statistics, from 1970 to 2012 thousands of Afghan people died in earthquakes.
Sources close to Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani tell Ariana News that the U.S. government has removed bounties on several Islamic Emirate officials.
According to the sources, those no longer on the list include Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
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