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Survivors of a powerful earthquake that killed more than 20 people and injured hundreds in northern Afghanistan were digging through the debris of their homes on Tuesday, trying to salvage what belongings they could after spending the night outside in the bitter cold.
Rain was predicted in the region, adding to the survivors’ troubles.
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck just before 1 a.m. local time Monday, with its epicenter 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm in Samangan province. Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said the death toll as of Tuesday morning was 21, while 819 people were injured, 25 of them seriously.
The earthquake also damaged historic sites, including the famous Blue Mosque in Afghanistan’s northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious sites, and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khullam.
Mahmudullah Zarrar, head of information and culture for Balkh province, said the minaret of the Blue Mosque was badly damaged, while some bricks and tiles fell from some of the mosque’s walls and cracks appeared in other parts of the centuries-old site.
“The holy shrine is a valuable monument islamic values and the history of the Islamic era, … (and) are in dire need of repair and restoration,” he said, adding that information about the damage was shared with the Ministry of Arts and Culture.
The mosque is a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals.
Samangan province’s information and culture chief Firozuddin Munib said the most seriously damaged historical monument in the province was the 19th-century Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace. Built in 1890–1892, the palace and its surrounding gardens are a popular site for visitors.
“The restoration of this palace is very important because winter is coming and the area is cold, and it is raining, which can cause further damage,” Muneeb said. He said the earthquake caused the collapse of a nearby wall and a tower and also caused cracks in the palace and other towers.
In Khulm, the tremors shocked survivors, who spent the night in the open.
,People Local resident Asadullah Samangani said, “We are still scared because of last night’s earthquake as small tremors were felt during the day.” “We spent the night in the open field last night, the weather was very cold, we could not sleep, we feel like there will be another earthquake now,” he said.
He said authorities had sent tents and basic necessities, but his house “was completely destroyed, there was nothing left for use. All our children were sick in the morning because we had spent the night in the cold, and all the belongings in the house were under the debris.
“People from other areas came to help, but our goods are still buried under the debris and damaged. Our women are facing great difficulties, we have no toilets and we have no place where our women can spend the night.”
Rescue teams were still working in some areas on Tuesday and the work was expected to be completed by the end of the day.
World Health Organization Partial damage was reported at several health facilities, while the Samangan Provincial Hospital’s laboratory collapsed, destroying vital medical equipment, it said. It said emergency response operations are ongoing with health teams and rescue units.
Poor Afghanistan often faces difficulty responding to natural disasters, especially in remote areas. buildings There is usually low-rise construction, mostly of concrete and brick, with houses made of mud bricks and wood in rural and outlying areas, many of which are poorly maintained.
In August, an earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 2,200 people.