INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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
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.The post Hundreds feared dead in Herat
after string of deadly earthquakes first appeared on Ariana News.
