Residents in several provinces of Afghanistan including the capital, Kabul, said that an earthquake shook their areas on Thursday.
According to the USGS, the earthquake hit at 13:50 (Afghanistan Time) with a 6.4 magnitude and its epicenter was 44 km SSW of Jurm district in the northern province of Badakshan in Afghanistan.
This comes as in October last year a heavy earthquake and aftershocks in Herat province killed over 2,500 and injured more than 2,000 and damaged thousands of homes either partially or completely.
New houses have been built in a village in Zinda Jan district of Herat province by the General Directorate of Intelligence for earthquake victims.
The village of Qala-e Nook was built in a standard and earthquake-resistant manner at the cost of 24 million Afghanis.
Rahmatullah Najib, the Deputy of GDI said: “In here, 31 houses that each contain 3 rooms have been built, and for their water supply system a water tap is in front of their houses and a mosque and a school have also been built in this place.”
With the new houses in the village, some earthquake victims who were living under the tents in the cold weather now have permanent shelter.
Each house in this village costs 500,000 afghani, which has two rooms, a hallway, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
A mosque and a school have also been built for the residents of the village.
“Currently, good and strong houses have been built, they have 40-centimeter foundations that are resistant to earthquakes. We will come tomorrow and put a heater here,” said Abdul Rahim, a resident.
“I am very happy that today they were opened, and tomorrow we will come and start our life here,” said Mohammad Esmail, another resident.
Qala-e Nook village of Zinda Jan district of Herat was completely destroyed in the earthquake and 65 people died and more than 40 people were injured.
Currently, the GDI employees have built new houses for 140 residents of this village from their salaries.
The press deputy of the Ministry of Information and Culture, Hayatullah Mahajer Farahi, said: “In other villages where the work has started, we pledge to all the residents here that houses will be built for them.”
This is the first village affected by the earthquake in Herat province where the construction of houses has been completed.
The work of building houses in other earthquake-affected villages continues and almost all the victims of the Herat province are still living under tents, which has become difficult with the cold weather and the arrival of winter.—Tolonews
