An earthquake in Afghanistan kills at least 1,000 people and injures hundreds more. Photographs published on social media revealed several heavily damaged mud houses in remote rural areas.

Gardez: A strong earthquake met a remote border region of Afghanistan at night, killing at least 1,000 people and hundreds of others wounded, the authorities announced on Wednesday, and the toll is expected to increase since desperate rescuers will dig through collapsed houses.“It is also raining and all the houses are destroyed. People are still trapped under the rubble," he told reporters.

Hibatullah Akhundzada warned that it will likely continue to increase. Earlier, a Paktika tribal leader said survivors and rescuers were struggling to help those affected. he told AFP over the phone.

Photos and video clips posted to social media showed dozens of badly damaged mud houses in remote rural areas. Some footage showed residents loading victims into a military helicopter.

Offers of assistance

Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency response teams made great efforts to deal with the natural disasters that frequently plagued the country. is further restricted. "The government is working to the best of its ability," tweeted Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official. "We hope that the international community and aid organizations will also help our people in this desperate situation." 

They quickly offered help." Inter-agency assessment teams have already been deployed to several affected areas," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan tweeted. Tomas Niklasson, EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, tweeted: "The EU is monitoring the situation and stands ready to coordinate and provide EU emergency assistance to affected people and communities. Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range located near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

Dozens of people were killed and injured in January when two earthquakes shook rural areas in western Badghis province, damaging hundreds of buildings. More than 380 people were killed in 2015 in Pakistan and Afghanistan as 7thThe magnitude of the 5 earthquakes shook the two countries, with the most deaths in Pakistan. From Vatican City, Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the recent earthquake. "I express my closeness to the wounded and affected," said the 85-year-old Pope at the end of his weekly audience. Aid agencies and the United Nations say Afghanistan needs billions of dollars this year to deal with its ongoing humanitarian crisis. prone to recurring earthquakes, floods, and landslides.

'Ready to give any humanitarian support possible'

In a statement,  Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Chairman Gen. Nadeem Raza and the three service chiefs express their deepest condolences for the tragic loss of precious lives and damage to infrastructure due to the earthquake and torrential floods from various areas of Afghanistan. Pakistani armed forces stand ready to provide any humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, he said.

Pakistan expresses its condolences for the loss of lives in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Wednesday expressed its deepest condolences and condolences for the loss of precious lives and property damage caused by the tragic earthquake in Afghanistan's Paktika province and adjacent areas, as well as torrential floods in several provinces in the country. The Federal Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that the people of Pakistan stand in strong solidarity with their Afghan brothers at this difficult time. FO explained that Pakistani authorities and institutions are working to expand the needed assistance to Afghanistan.