Top Taliban officials visit earthquake-ravaged Herat province in Afghanistan

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Afghanistan's acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, paid a visit to the earthquake-ravaged areas of northwest Herat province on Monday to inspect the provision of emergency aid to the victims.

He also visited Herat provincial hospital to "personally" inquire about the well-being of those injured in the strong-intensity earthquake, said a statement from the interim Afghanistan administration's Foreign Ministry.

Baradar also directed the authorities to distribute aid in a "fair" and "adequate" manner among those affected, the statement added.

Meanwhile, acting Army Chief Qari Fasihuddin also visited Zinda Jan district, one of the two hardest hit regions, to inspect the relief and rescue operations.

On Saturday, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the Zinda Jan and Ghorian districts of Herat province, home to 1.9 million people, killing about 2,500 people and injuring thousands.

According to the Afghan Red Crescent, over a dozen villages in the two impoverished districts have been "completely destroyed, displacing thousands of panic-stricken citizens."