A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the deadliest quakes in decades.
Officials warned that the death toll may rise as information remained scarce.
Homes were razed to the ground and hundreds of people were likely trapped under the rubbles, said Muhammad Amin Huzaifa, head of Paktika Culture and Information Department.
Officials in the Taliban government have publicly called for support and announced that 1 billion afghanis (over $11 million) would be distributed in “cash and other assistance.”
“A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses,” Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, said. “We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.”
Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace to coordinate the relief effort.