KABUL: The total death toll in the powerful earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan on Monday night has risen to 27, with nearly 1,000 others reported injured on Wednesday, Tolo reported, citing officials.
According to Tolo News, many victims, who lost their homes in the disaster, are currently taking shelter in school buildings, with survivors describing the destruction and the challenges they are now facing as winter approaches.
Gulabuddin, a resident of Samangan province, said that his house was completely destroyed, leaving him and ten family members homeless.
He also mourned the death of his pregnant daughter-in-law, saying, "When I ran outside, a brick fell on me and I was injured. My daughter-in-law, who was pregnant, was killed when the house collapsed. God saved eight other members of our family," Tolo News reported.
In Khulm district, several families who lost their homes are also staying in schools and appealing for urgent assistance.
Nasim Gul, another survivor, said, "We need food and do not have a proper place to sit. Winter is approaching, and we have ten mouths to feed. My youngest child also became sick tonight," Tolo News reported.
"Everything we had is buried under the rubble. We came to the school building, but here we have nothing," added Mirza Mohammad, another survivor in the disaster.
Earlier in the early hours of Monday, an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, causing widespread destruction in the region.
Preliminary reports indicated that the epicentre was in Samangan province, where most of the casualties and damage were reported. (ANI)
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