Thousands killed in Afghanistan quake

bmj;383/oct10_4/p2333/FAF1faAimal Zahir/Xinhua/AlamyThe death toll from a series of earthquakes close to Herat in western Afghanistan has risen to more than 2000 people, the Taliban government has reported. The magnitude 6.3 quake on Saturday 7 October razed at least 10 villages in rural and deprived areas, including Zenda Jan (pictured), leaving many thousands of people homeless and in need of shelter, food, and healthcare.The region’s only hospital was overwhelmed, with injured people arriving from across Herat and nearby provinces. It has been reported that the Taliban has appealed for female doctors, previously banned from practising, to return to the hospital.The aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières has set up five tents within the hospital compound to accommodate up to 80 patients. But as the rescue continues international agencies fear there will be more loss of life and the spread of infectious diseases through unsanitary and overcrowded makeshift shelters.
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