<KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN)> Some
250 people were killed and 50 injured during the pre-dawn tremor that
hit the same area where thousands died earlier this week, said the Afghan
embassy in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe.
The
number of earthquake casualties remains unconfirmed. Afghan officials
have estimated that Wednesday's earthquake in the isolated Rustaq district
left up to 4,450 dead, but aid agencies have said that figure is too
high.
A Red Cross plane
packed with emergency supplies trying to land near the quake site in
Takhar Province had to return to the Afghan capital, 240 kilometers
(150 miles) to the south, because of bad weather. A second Red Cross
plane was circling the landing strip with hopes the visibility would
improve, Red Cross officials in neighboring Pakistan said. The first
quake, with a magnitude of 6.1, hit Wednesday night at the junction
of the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges. Reports of the quake reached
Kabul two days later, and details were still emerging Sunday. Another
tremor rocked the area Saturday night and again at 4 a.m. Sunday (2230
Saturday GMT), adding four more villages to the dozen or so destroyed
or damaged earlier.
The Associated Press
and Reuters contributed to this report.
Media
Report