Xi expresses condolences to quake victims

TIANJIN/KABUL — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday expressed deep condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan.

While addressing the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus "Meeting in Tianjin, the president said: "We express condolences and sympathies to victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan."

He added: "I wish the Afghan government and people could overcome difficulties and rebuild their homeland as soon as possible."

A magnitude-6 earthquake on Sunday in Afghanistan has killed at least 812 people and injured 2,817 others, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the country's interim government, said on Monday.

Mujahid reported that the majority of the devastation occurred in the Nurgal, Suki, Watapur, and Chapa Dara districts of Kunar Province.

In neighboring Nangarhar Province, 12 people were killed and 255 were injured, while Laghman Province recorded 58 injuries and Nuristan Province 4 injuries.

The casualty figures are initial estimates and are likely to rise as evaluations progress, the official stated.

The quake, which struck late on Sunday, hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar Province, causing extensive damage.

The quake was centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad, the US Geological Survey said. It was just 8 km deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.

Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.

Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood.

Worst-affected areas

One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.

"Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble," said the villager, who did not give his name.

"We need help here," he pleaded.

The quake has worsened communications. Blocked roads are forcing aid workers to walk four or five hours to reach survivors. Dozens of flights have operated in and out of Nangarhar Airport, transporting the injured to hospital.

Rescue operations were underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said during a news conference on Monday that China is closely monitoring the earthquake in Kunar Province, eastern Afghanistan, and has expressed deep condolences for the victims.

"China is willing to provide disaster relief assistance within its capacity based on Afghanistan's needs," Guo added.

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the earthquake intensified existing humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan and urged international donors to support relief efforts.

"This adds death and destruction to other challenges, including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighboring countries," Grandi wrote on the social media platform X. "Hopefully, the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts."

Sunday night's quake was felt in parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by events in Afghanistan. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are ready to extend all possible support in this regard," he said on the social platform X.

Xinhua - Agencies