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Hundreds feared dead in Herat after string of deadly earthquakes
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority told Ariana News that hundreds of people have been killed in Herat province after a string of deadly earthquakes rocked the province early Saturday.
Janan Sayeq said at least seven villages in Zinda Jan district of Herat were completely destroyed in the two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes on Saturday morning.
He said in one village alone, only 100 families out of 300 survived the quake.
At least five powerful earthquakes struck the city and surrounding districts from just after 11am on Saturday.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit at 11:11 am, followed by a 5.5 and a 4.7 magnitude aftershock just minutes later. At 11:40 another 6.3 hit, at a depth of just 10km.
This was followed by a 5.9 quake just 30 minutes later. All of these quakes were at depths of between 7.7km and 14 km and most were epicentered around Zinda Jan.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement late Saturday that that military and rescue services have been dispatched to Herat as a matter of urgency. He also said urgent measures should be taken to provide shelter and food to the survivors who have been left homeless.
Mujahid said that all stops need to be pulled out to rescue survivors who are trapped under rubble.
Reports meanwhile indicated that telephone lines are down, which is causing difficulties in obtaining precise details from the impacted areas.
Herat is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan and is the official capital of Herat province which is home to an estimated population of 1.9 million.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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