UPDATE: A strong earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing more than 1,000 people.
. The lack of foreign government and international aid agency staff and infrastructure in the country is likely to complicate relief efforts.
Mawlawi Elyas Nasiri, regional director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society in eastern Afghanistan, said ambulances and rescuers had arrived at the scene and efforts were underway to find and help victims. He said it was roughly a 3.5-hour drive from the provincial capital to the earthquake zone, and some people were likely still trapped under the rubble.
Another Gayan district resident, 28-year-old Juma Khan, told CBS News' Sami Yousafzai over the phone that he was"jolted awake" at about 1:30 a.m. and quickly realized it was an earthquake. "In our village, most of the houses collapsed, dozens were killed and dozens more injured from the impact," Khan said."People are digging around the debris with their hands to desperately find those still alive. Taliban government helicopters shift some of the critically injured, but the Taliban do not have the resource and equipment to conduct an effective search and rescue mission.
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