Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 temblor near the Pakistani border, but quakes of that strength can cause severe damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Experts put the depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles) - another factor that could increase the impact.
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11:55
A deadly earthquake has killed 280 people in eastern Afghanistan, official media said Wednesday.
The tremors shook the eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported, adding that 595 people were also wounded.
Afghan officials said the death toll could rise as dozens of people are in critical condition.
"I have tragic reports from my native Paktika province, where hundreds of people are killed and wounded in the devastating earthquakes. The homes are destroyed, and people are under the rubbles," Khalid Zadran, a police spokesman in the capital Kabul, said in a tweet.
"Aid teams from Kabul have reached in the area and rescue work is underway. All aid organizations should direct their aid to Paktika," he added.
Taliban officials have also requested immediate assistance in the quake-hit areas.
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