INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 280 people and injuring hundreds,
authorities said.The earthquake hit Khost and Paktika provinces at about 01:24 on Wednesday, followed by a second 4.5 magnitude temblor an
hour later, the USGS reported.Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting First Deputy Prime Minister and head of the disaster management commission, has
instructed authorities to send teams to affected areas and use all available means to rescue lives and help those affected.The state-run
Bakhtar news agency reported the death toll and said over 500 had been injured in Paktika alone
BNA also reported that rescuers were arriving by helicopter.Officials tweeted that at least 90 houses had been destroyed in Paktika and
dozens of people were believed trapped under the rubble.Footage from Paktika province near the Pakistan border showed victims being carried
into helicopters to be airlifted from the area and images showed destroyed houses.&A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika
province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses,& Bilal Karimi, an IEA spokesman tweeted.&We urge
all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.&The post Hundreds dead and injured in 6.1 magnitude
earthquake in Afghanistan first appeared on Ariana News.
