Rescue teams on third day of searching after devastating Afghanistan earthquake

(MENAFN) Rescue and relief efforts in eastern Afghanistan entered their third day on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake that left thousands homeless and destroyed entire villages.

A Taliban official in Kunar province, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that relief supplies began reaching some remote areas late Tuesday, as authorities had initially intended to move people to safer locations. “Locals refused to leave because the bodies of their loved ones were still under the rubble. We then started distributing tents and other essential items,” the official added.

Kunar province has been the hardest hit region, with over 1,400 deaths reported so far. Officials noted that the mountainous terrain and damaged infrastructure have complicated aid delivery, but rescue and relief teams have managed to reach all affected areas.

“We are sending relief goods by vehicles where possible, but in areas cut off by the earthquake, helicopters are being used to transport supplies and evacuate the injured to hospitals,” the official said.

Abdul Wahid, a local resident, reported that aftershocks continue to shake the region, causing ongoing fear among the population.

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