Hundreds feared dead, injured as earthquake of magnitude 6 hits Afghanistan

Hundreds were feared dormant and injured aft an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck 2 rugged eastbound provinces in Afghanistan, authorities said connected Monday, arsenic helicopters ferried the injured to information from rubble being combed successful a hunt for survivors.

The catastrophe volition further agelong the resources of the South Asian federation already grappling with humanitarian crises, from a crisp driblet successful assistance to a immense pushback of its citizens from neighbouring countries.

There was nary confirmed decease toll, wellness authorities said successful Kabul, the capital, arsenic rescuers raced to scope distant hamlets dotting an country with a agelong past of earthquakes and floods.

"Figures from conscionable a fewer clinics amusement implicit 400 injured and dozens of fatalities," ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said successful a connection that warned of higher casualties.

Images from Reuters Television showed helicopters ferrying retired the affected, portion residents helped soldiers and medics transportation the wounded to ambulances.

Three villages were razed successful the state of Kunar, with important harm successful galore others, the wellness ministry said.

Reports showed 250 dormant and 500 injured, said Najibullah Hanif, the provincial accusation caput of Kunar, adding that the tally could change.

Early reports showed 30 dormant successful a azygous village, with hundreds of injured taken to hospital, authorities said.

Rescuers were scrambling to find survivors successful the country bordering Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, wherever homes of mud and chromatic were levelled by the midnight quake that deed astatine a extent of 10 km (6 miles).

"So far, nary overseas governments person reached retired to supply enactment for rescue oregon alleviation work," a overseas bureau spokesperson said.

Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes, peculiarly successful the Hindu Kush upland range, wherever the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

A bid of earthquakes successful its westbound killed much than 1,000 radical past year, underscoring the vulnerability of 1 of the world's poorest countries to earthy disasters.