Doctor Azam, 52, who lives in the Kunar province, was at home when the 6.0 magnitude Afghanistan earthquake hit late Sunday, killing some 800 people and injuring more than 2,500
A doctor was terrified his children would die in a catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan – after he had to leap from his trembling home.
Azam, 52, a resident of Kunar province, was at home when the devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck late Sunday, resulting in the tragic loss of around 800 lives and injuring over 2,500 people in eastern Afghanistan.
The earthquake hit at 11:47pm, 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad, and caused extensive damage to buildings and homes across the region. Several aftershocks soon followed.
Aazam recalled the terrifying moment he felt the “extremely intense” tremors, which allowed him to jump out of the house. Luckily, his children were not at home when the devastating earthquake struck.
The doctor said: “It was around midnight when we felt the earthquake, and it was extremely intense. The tremors were so strong that we couldn’t even open the door but the shaking broke part of the wall, which allowed me to jump out [of the house].
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“Fortunately, the children were not at home. If they had been inside with us, I am not sure we would have been able to save them. All our rooms are damaged – our belongings are under the rubble.
“We are still feeling [shaking from] the earthquake all around us.”
Shocking footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at a press conference Monday that the death toll had risen to at least 800 with more than 2,500 injured. He said most of the casualties were in Kunar.
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. Many are poorly built.
Samira Sayed Rahman, Advocacy Director, from Save the Children Afghanistan, revealed the tremors left children terrified after they came without any warning in the middle of the night.
She said: “The earthquake came without warning in the middle of the night. Children and their families were fast asleep in their homes – homes that are not built to withstand tremors of this magnitude. Aftershocks are continuing, causing terror for children and heightening the risk of further damage and casualties.
“Roads have been blocked by rocks, cutting off villages and hampering rescue operations. Children and their families need urgent support – with the likely destruction of so many homes, they will need food, clean water, shelter and essential household items.
“The true scale of the devastation is still emerging, but we know that children are always the most vulnerable in the aftermath of a disaster.
“We urgently call on the international community to step up with immediate funding and coordinated support to ensure life-saving assistance reaches children and families without delay.”