50 feared entombed in Afghan earthquakes
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2012, Wednesday
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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.
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