Free Republic

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and unreinforced brick with mud and timber post construction. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses. The quake followed extremely damaging twin M6.3 earthquakes on October 7 in which more than 2 400 people lost their lives and more than 2 000 were injured. Some districts adjoining areas that had been completely flattened by earlier quakes had suffered huge losses, Herat’s governor’s...

Another earthquake has hit western Afghanistan, just days after two large quakes in the same region killed more than 1,000 people.The new 6.3 magnitude quake struck at around 05:10 local time (00:40 GMT) on Wednesday, 28km (17 miles) north of Herat, killing at least one person.More than 100 were injured and taken to hospital, health officials said.Unicef said more than 90% of those who died in this week's earthquakes in Afghanistan were women and children.The wider impact of the latest quake is not yet clear, but many people were sleeping in the open after their homes were destroyed on Saturday.The...