A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck Afghanistan in the early hours of the morning. The tragic toll counts hundreds of dead with the latest information saying at least 250 victims.
At least 250 people have been killed in a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, disaster management officials said.
Most of the deaths were in Paktika province, where 100 people were killed and 250 were injured, said Mohammad Nasim Hakani, head of the Taliban's disaster management service.
According to him, there are reports of deaths in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Host, while the authorities continue to assess the damage.
"Unfortunately, last night there was a strong earthquake in four areas of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our fellow citizens and destroyed dozens of houses," Bilal Karimi, a spokesman for the Taliban government, said on Twitter.
"We call on all relief services to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further disaster," he added.
Photos posted on social media show damaged houses on the streets of a village. Local sources in Paktika province said the quake caused a landslide.
Afghanistan is often hit by earthquakes, mainly in the Hindu Kush massif at the junction of two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and the Indian.
