'Covered in dust and too shocked to speak': Daylight reveals scale of quake's devastation
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early on Wednesday left residents shocked, with crumbling buildings covered in dust and too scared to speak.
Buildings laid to waste
The quake inflicted damage across several districts of Paktika and Khost provinces, near the border with Pakistan, with hundreds of homes and public buildings destroyed.
Toll yet to be determined
The initial quake was followed just under two hours later by a strong aftershock measuring magnitude 5.3.
Frustrated and frightened
While the quake was less powerful than those that have hit the country's western regions in recent months, its impact was felt in densely populated areas, with frustrated and frightened residents expressing fears that aftershocks could bring down already damaged buildings.
Continued seismic activity
Afghanistan is routinely hit by earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which borders Pakistan and touches the Chinese border.
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