Tragic Earthquake in Afghanistan Leaves Village in Ruins: Death Toll Continues to Rise as Residents Search for Bodies
The hardscrabble village of Kashkak, nestled on a dusty plateau in western Afghanistan, has been ravaged by a devastating earthquake. Now reduced to a mere pile of rubble, the village was hit by a magnitude 6.3 quake, followed by a series of eight powerful aftershocks. These natural disasters buried countless residents under the debris on a fateful Saturday morning.
Amidst the chaos, brave volunteer rescue workers like Amir Hussain, 33, tirelessly dug through the night, desperately hoping to find survivors. Amid the heartbreaking scenes, Hussain discovered several lifeless bodies, including three young children. They had just come from their school, one of them was killed in the street and two others in their home, he solemnly recounted.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the men of Kashkak toiled away, their clothes stained with dust, as they hacked at the camel-colored earth. Some were still searching for bodies, while others skillfully dug graves to provide a final resting place for the victims. The undeniable grief in the air was palpable as mourners maneuvered through a maze of burial pits that now dot the once-thriving village.
The death toll now stands at an alarming 170, according to village rescue worker Maula Dad. The government, however, reports that the unprecedented quake has claimed the lives of around 2,053 people, with 1,300 homes completely destroyed across 13 villages in the western Herat province. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on the other hand, estimates fatalities at just over 1,000, emphasizing that 100 percent of homes in 11 villages were utterly demolished.
The devastation caused by the earthquake compounds the existing challenges faced by the Herat region, which already grapples with a significant number of displaced individuals due to decades of war and a prolonged drought. Moreover, Afghanistan as a whole has experienced a substantial reduction in foreign aid since the return of the Taliban to power in 2021.
Despite the daunting circumstances, supplies have gradually begun to arrive in Kashkak. Food, water, tents, and even coffins for the deceased have been transported to this hard-to-reach village. In the midst of the chaos, aid organizations have set up tents to distribute stacks of flat Afghan bread, while Red Crescent trucks tirelessly unload supplies nearby.
As the survivors attempt to piece their shattered lives back together, children wander among the remnants of their once-simple homes. Belongings such as backpacks, cookware, and toothbrushes lay exposed, a heartbreaking testament to the lives that have been irrevocably changed. Along what was once the village’s bustling main road, a grief-stricken man cradles a child-sized bundle wrapped in a red fleece blanket. Nearby, Fatima, a distraught mother, acknowledges her dire situation as she anxiously awaits news regarding the well-being of her family members. Everyone from our family is in the hospital. I haven’t heard from them, she laments.
While the road to recovery appears long and arduous, the resilient spirit of the Afghan people remains unbroken. Their strength, matched with the aid pouring in from various organizations, provides a glimmer of hope as they unite to rebuild their shattered lives.
