Emergency response teams in Afghanistan are urgently working to rescue individuals trapped beneath the debris left behind by a powerful earthquake that struck the western region of the country.

The quake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, has raised concerns that more than 1,000 people may have lost their lives as it impacted villages in Herat Province this past Saturday.

The challenging circumstances of this disaster include disrupted communication networks and numerous blocked roads, making it difficult for rescue personnel to access remote areas. Additionally, hundreds of individuals have sustained injuries as a result of the earthquake.

In response to this crisis, the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have initiated efforts to swiftly provide emergency relief supplies to the affected areas.

The earthquake's epicenter was situated approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Herat city, striking at around 11:00 AM local time (06:30 GMT) on Saturday.

Tragically, the communities most severely affected primarily comprised mud structures, resulting in the complete collapse of houses during the initial tremor.

Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Herat, shared that, "In the very first shake, all the houses collapsed." He further explained that those who were inside these houses became trapped beneath the rubble, and there are still families for whom no information has been received.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a minimum of 465 houses had been completely leveled. Villagers have been working tirelessly using shovels and their own hands to rescue survivors from the debris. With their homes destroyed, many residents are now preparing to spend a second night sleeping in the open.

The exact death toll is still being established. The UN's humanitarian affairs office in Afghanistan says more than 1,000 people have been killed, and about 500 are still missing.

Earlier on Sunday, the Taliban government said 2,000 people had either been killed or wounded.

In a country with sorely inadequate medical facilities, hospitals are struggling to care for the injured.

"For the treatment of the victims of the incident we are doing our best," disaster management ministry spokesman Mullah Janan Sayeq told reporters in Kabul.

"On-site search operations in the affected area are ongoing," he said.

Herat is located 120km (75 miles) east of the Iranian border and is considered to be the cultural capital of Afghanistan. An estimated 1.9 million people are believed to be living in the province.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes - especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range as it lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

In June last year, the province of Paktika was hit by a 5.9 magnitude quake which killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

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