Men were clearing away the rubble, while women and children waited outside amid the rubble.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 600 houses were destroyed or partially damaged in at least a dozen villages in Herat province. A total of 4,200 people were affected in one way or another by the earthquake, the same source said.
“All the houses collapsed at the first shock42-year-old Bashir Ahmed says.Those inside the houses were buried. We have families who have no news“, he adds.
Abandoned with our martyrs
Nek Mohammad was on duty when the first earthquake hit Afghanistan at around 11am local time (6:30am GMT).
“We returned home and found nothing. Everything turned to sand“, he explains, about 30 bodies were found.
“We don’t have any at the moment. No blankets or anything. We are abandoned with our martyrs“, adds the 32-year-old.
On Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned “The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue“.
In Herat, considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan, many residents and traders fled their buildings at the first tremor.
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