50 feared entombed in Afghan earthquakes
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS many as 50 people are feared entombed under tons of rock that buried a village in a landslide after two earthquakes in northern Afghanistan, authorities said yesterday.
A single bulldozer worked to uncover bodies of those killed in Monday's landslide after the earthquakes struck the Hindu Kush region, but villagers fear there will be no survivors.
Rescuers have recovered the bodies only of two women, said Gov. Abdul Majid of Baghlan province who reached the area yesterday afternoon.
"It's impossible to get to the bodies," the governor said. "They estimate that they are buried in 30 meters of rock. There are tons of rocks and stones covering the village."
Baghlan province's Burka district, the site of the landslide, is a remote collection of mountain villages. Majid estimated the rubble covered one hectare of land around the village of Sayi Hazara, home to about 20 families.
"Nobody will be alive," he said.
One bulldozer was working at the site, another one was being repaired and a third was being transported to the area to help with the excavation, he said.
One earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck the region Monday morning, followed by a 5.7 quake, the US Geological Survey said. Both quakes caused buildings to shake in the Afghan capital, Kabul, 190 kilometers to the south.
On Monday, local officials feared that as many as 100 people could have been killed, but after visiting the site, the governor revised the number to 50 or fewer.
Police led a team of rescue workers and medics from Pul-e-Khumri, but discovered on arrival that they could be of little use.
A single bulldozer worked to uncover bodies of those killed in Monday's landslide after the earthquakes struck the Hindu Kush region, but villagers fear there will be no survivors.
Rescuers have recovered the bodies only of two women, said Gov. Abdul Majid of Baghlan province who reached the area yesterday afternoon.
"It's impossible to get to the bodies," the governor said. "They estimate that they are buried in 30 meters of rock. There are tons of rocks and stones covering the village."
Baghlan province's Burka district, the site of the landslide, is a remote collection of mountain villages. Majid estimated the rubble covered one hectare of land around the village of Sayi Hazara, home to about 20 families.
"Nobody will be alive," he said.
One bulldozer was working at the site, another one was being repaired and a third was being transported to the area to help with the excavation, he said.
One earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck the region Monday morning, followed by a 5.7 quake, the US Geological Survey said. Both quakes caused buildings to shake in the Afghan capital, Kabul, 190 kilometers to the south.
On Monday, local officials feared that as many as 100 people could have been killed, but after visiting the site, the governor revised the number to 50 or fewer.
Police led a team of rescue workers and medics from Pul-e-Khumri, but discovered on arrival that they could be of little use.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
