HERAT, Afghanistan -- The death toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan rose sharply again on Sunday to more than 2,000, with nearly 10,000 injured, as rescue workers dug through razed villages for vanishing signs of life.
More than 1,300 homes were toppled when Saturday's magnitude 6.3 quake -- followed by eight strong aftershocks -- jolted hard-to-reach areas 30 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital of Herat, according to officials.
"For the treatment of the victims of the incident we are doing our best," he told reporters in Kabul. Gutted homes showed personal belongings flapping in the harsh wind, as women and children lingered out in the open preparing to spend the night under an open sky."Those who were inside the houses were buried," he said."There are families we have heard no news from.""We came home and saw that actually there was nothing left. Everything had turned to sand," said the 32-year-old, adding that around 30 bodies had been recovered.
In Herat city, residents fled their homes and schools, while hospitals and offices evacuated when the first quake was felt. There were few reports of casualties in the metropolitan area.
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