Hundreds of homes damaged as deadly earthquake rocks western Afghanistan

At least 26 people, including women and children, have been killed and four others injured in an earthquake that hit western Afghanistan.

The victims died when the roofs of their houses collapsed in Qadis district in the western province of Badghis on Monday.

"Five women and four children are among the 26 people killed in the earthquake," said Baz Mohammad Sarwary, spokesman for Badghis province, which was hit by the earthquake, adding that four more were injured.

The 5.6 magnitude tremor shook the western province of Badghis, bordering Turkmenistan, in the afternoon, reducing brick homes to rubble, according to photos shared by local authorities.

"The Mujahideen have reached to some of the affected areas, but Badghis is a mountainous province, the number of casualties might go up," Sarwary added, referring to Taliban fighters.

He said that heavy rain was also lashing the area.

Over 700 houses damaged

Mullah Janan Saeqe, head of the Emergency Operations Centre of the Ministry of State for Emergency Affairs, confirmed the death toll and said more than 700 houses had been damaged.

Sanullah Sabit, the head of the nursing unit at the main hospital in Badghis' capital said they had received five patients injured in the quake, mostly with broken bones and fractures.

The quake was at a depth of 30 km (18.64 miles), according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre

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

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