New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, as the death toll rose to 812, and conveyed India’s readiness to provide humanitarian aid.

Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the earthquake in Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult hour, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to provide all possible humanitarian aid and relief to those affected”.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar also expressed deep concern over the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, which has claimed more than 812 lives so far.

“India will extend assistance in this hour of need. Our condolences to the families of the victims. And our prayers for early recovery of the injured”, he said.

Meanwhile, rescue teams are navigating remote areas with limited communication to assess the full extent of the damage and provide aid, with officials noting that the toll is preliminary as efforts continue, official media added.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of Afghanistan at 11.47 p.m. local time on Sunday, at a depth of eight km, according to the US Geological Survey, Xinhua news agency reported.

Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes as it sits on top of several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. The mountainous terrain of eastern Afghanistan is also prone to landslides, making it harder for emergency services to carry out rescues.

A series of earthquakes in the western parts killed more than 1,000 people last year, underscoring the vulnerability of one of the world’s poorest countries to natural disasters.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake had struck Afghanistan on October 7, 2023, along with strong aftershocks. The Taliban government had estimated that at least 4,000 perished. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.

Over the past decade, more than 7,000 people have been killed in earthquakes in Afghanistan, the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. There are an average of 560 deaths a year from earthquakes.

An earthquake in May 1998, in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces in northern Afghanistan, killed about 4,000 people. Nearly 100 villages and 16,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, and 45,000 people were made homeless.

–IANS

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