DISASTER

2,400+ Dead in Afghanistan Earthquakes, Taliban Say, as Search Efforts Continue

Survivors are still trapped under rubble days after the tremors hit.

Two powerful earthquakes which hit northwestern Afghanistan over the weekend have left at least 2,400 people dead, the ruling Taliban administration said, with rescue crews still working to find and free survivors trapped under rubble on Monday. The pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes struck the city of Herat and its surroundings on Saturday, bringing devastation to over a dozen villages as well as damaging parts of the city itself. Neighboring Pakistan and Iran have both offered to provide humanitarian aid and send rescue workers, while China’s Red Cross Society has extended cash relief aid. The disaster comes after Afghanistan’s healthcare system—which is almost entirely dependant on foreign aid—has endured severe cuts in the two years since the Taliban reclaimed power and took control of the nation’s international assistance.