Afghanistan earthquake kills at least 1,000 near Pakistan border

At least 1,000 people were killed and just as many injured after one of the deadliest earthquakes in decades struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, a

At least 1,000 people were killed and just as many injured after one of the deadliest earthquakes in decades struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, a government spokesman said.

The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.9, down from an initial estimate of 6.1. The temblor struck a remote and mountainous area near the border with Pakistan, flattening homes and leaving people trapped beneath the rubble.

Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said the death toll had risen to 1,000 from its earlier count of around 300 as more information trickled in from rural parts of the Paktika and Khost provinces hit by the temblor. He said more than 1,000 people were also injured, with the toll expected to rise.

NBC News has not independently verified the number of people killed.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/afghanistan-earthquake-paktika-rcna34678

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