Powerful earthquakes in Afghanistan, death toll rises to 500: Red Crescent

Kabul, The Gulf Observer: Powerful earthquakes in Afghanistan have killed 500 people according to the latest information, Red Crescent spokesman Erfanullah Sharafzoi said.

Some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported damage to 8 villages, 465 houses destroyed, and 135 damaged, Reuters reported.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan said in a statement published on the “X” platform that “casualties from the earthquake are still being reported.”

The multiple quakes on Saturday hit 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, with one measuring 6.3 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.