Afghanistan Quake; No Reports of Indonesian Victims, Ministry Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Foreign Affairs Ministry said that so far, there has been no report of Indonesian nationals injured or killed during the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, June 22.

"There is no information of Indonesian victims," the ministry's director of the protection of Indonesian citizens (PWNI), Judha Nugraha, told ANTARA in Jakarta.

The earthquake, said Judha, could be felt all the way in Kabul City. As a response to the disaster, the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul immediately contacted authorities in areas where Indonesian citizens (WNI) reside in Afghanistan.

At least 950 people died in an earthquake that rocked eastern Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday. Taliban officials predicted that the death toll could rise as reports are coming from remote villages.

Most of the confirmed deaths were in Paktika province, where 100 people were killed and 610 injured, the head of the Taliban government's disaster management authority said. Deaths were also reported in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Khost, he added. Authorities are still in search for more victims.

As reported by ABC, Afghan officials have asked humanitarian agencies to help with rescue efforts. An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman said he would welcome international assistance.

Antara

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