Herat: The Taliban administration in Afghanistan reduced the number of people killed by a series of earthquakes to "over 1,000" as people in villages destroyed by the tragedy became alarmed by new tremors.
After last week's earthquakes, thousands of people were spending a fourth night outside in the provincial capital of Herat when the most recent earthquake struck at dawn, about 30 km to the north.
“It’s horrible, the whole of Herat is terrified,” said 32-year-old Abdul Qudos. “We are so scared that even when we see the trees moving (in the wind), we think it’s another earthquake coming.”
Disaster management officials initially put the death toll of the weekend quake at 2,053. But public health minister Qalandar Ebad attributed the confusion to the remoteness of the area and double reporting during the rescue effort. He added that 2,400 people had been injured.
According to Herat Regional Hospital's ambulance manager, Abdul Zahir Noorzai, some of the injured were struck by the debris of previously demolished dwellings. There were 5.0 and 4.1 magnitude aftershocks to the magnitude 6.3 earthquake.