The number of casualties from earthquake in Afghanistan rises to 1150

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan reported that they had stopped searching and rescue operations following the June 22nd earthquake that hit the eastern part of the country, while the number of victims has already reached 1150 people.

Abdul Wahid Rayan, director of state news agency Bakhtarı, said the number of victims according to the latest report has reached 1150 people out of 1,000 reported earlier, while the wounded are at least 1600.

Earlier, on June 24th, Muhammad Nassim Haqqani, the thaliban spokesman of the Ministry for Disaster Management, told the media that over 10,000 dwellings were partially or completely destroyed in the earthquake that hit the eastern part of the country, near the Pakistan border.

“Rescue operations have ended”, Hakqani said, without giving further explanation of why they were stopping search operations, only 48 hours after the tragic earthquake.

On June 22nd, Haqani told Free Europe Radio that it was difficult to obtain accurate information about the damage because of the poor state of the telephone network in some areas. He said supplies with medications and other critical aid were insufficient.

The 6.1 magnitude quake struck about 100 miles [160 km] southeast of Kabul in a mountainous region of small settlements. Pact and Khest exercises were hit the most, causing damage and casualties. / REL/