Magnitude-6.3 earthquake devastates western Afghanistan, leaving over 10,000 injured and hundreds of homes destroyed.

A powerful earthquake that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday has caused catastrophic damage, with the death toll surpassing 2,400 and more than 10,000 people injured, according to Taliban officials. The magnitude-6.3 quake, followed by eight strong aftershocks, hit remote areas 30 kilometers from the provincial capital of Herat, toppling homes and sending residents fleeing into the streets.

The hardest-hit regions include the Zindah Jan and Ghoryan districts, where entire villages were reduced to rubble. “Twelve villages in Zindah Jan and six in Ghoryan are completely destroyed. We expect the death toll to rise as rescue operations continue,” a Taliban spokesperson stated. As rescuers search for survivors amid the wreckage, officials are calling for urgent international assistance to provide food, medicine, tents, and other vital aid.

“Survivors are in desperate need. The earthquake struck impoverished and remote areas, many of which are populated by refugees who recently returned from Iran and Pakistan,” the official added. The international community has been urged to step in and help rescue those still trapped under the rubble.

In Herat city, the regional hospital was overwhelmed with casualties, forcing medical staff to treat patients outside after the facility reached full capacity. “We are struggling with the high number of injured. Our morgue is overwhelmed, and vans filled with dead bodies are arriving continuously,” a medic at Herat hospital told The Guardian. Makeshift medical facilities have been set up to handle the influx.

As night fell, panic spread in Herat city, where rumors of further tremors caused thousands of residents to sleep in parks and on the streets. “It was like a nightmare,” said Firooz, a local resident. “We stayed in a park until 5 a.m. because of the fear of more earthquakes.”

In the Zindah Jan district, villages have been completely destroyed, and roads are damaged, making it difficult to reach affected areas. “Dozens of villages have been wiped out, and hundreds of people remain trapped,” said Dawood, a survivor from the area. “I took nine bodies of my relatives to Herat, but many are still buried. A catastrophe is unfolding.”

The Taliban’s response to the disaster has been hampered by limited resources and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The government’s call for international aid has grown urgent as the situation continues to deteriorate.