The Afghan interim government announced on the 1st that the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the country's east on August 31 has resulted in 812 deaths and another 2,817 injured.
During a press conference, interim government spokesman Mujahid said that most of the casualties were concentrated in Kunar province in the east, where 800 people have died and 2,500 have been injured. In neighboring Nangarhar province, 12 people died and 255 were injured; in Laghman province, 58 people were injured; and in Nuristan province, 4 people were injured.
He stated that the rugged terrain in eastern regions has created difficulties for rescue operations and that the number of casualties may continue to rise. Emergency response teams have been deployed to the disaster area, and actions will be accelerated to provide aid to those affected.
It is reported that the earthquake-affected area is mostly mountainous, and local houses are mainly low-rise mud-brick structures. A large number of houses have been destroyed or heavily damaged, with many residents buried under rubble.
UK Provides £1 Million in Emergency Aid
The British government issued a statement saying that the UK will provide £1 million (about 5.72 million ringgit) in aid to Afghanistan, distributed to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “The UK remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan, and these emergency funds will help our partners provide critical medical services and emergency supplies to areas most severely affected by the disaster in Afghanistan.”