New Delhi: In the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that hit Kabul on early Wednesday, an Indian technical team has reached there today and has been deployed in the embassy, the MEA said. India has a historical and civilizational relationship with the Afghan people.
"To closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and in continuation of our engagement with the Afghan people, an Indian technical team has reached Kabul today and has been deployed in our Embassy there", the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.
Recently, another Indian team visited Kabul to oversee the delivery operations of India's humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and met with senior members of the Taliban. During the visit, an assessment of the security situation was also carried out. India's long-standing links with Afghan society and the development partnership including humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan will continue to guide New Delhi's approach going forward.
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Meanwhile, India on Wednesday expressed condolences to the victims and their families impacted by the earthquake. “India expresses sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families, and all those impacted by the tragic earthquake in Afghanistan. We share the grief of the people of Afghanistan and remain committed to providing assistance and support in this hour of need”, tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
A powerful earthquake hit a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border early Wednesday. Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, Deputy Minister of State for Disaster Management, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, told media that 920 people were killed and 610 were injured in last night’s earthquake that hit several provinces of Afghanistan including Paktika, Khost and the Nangarhar.
"Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses," government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted. The spokesman called on all international aid agencies and charities to provide immediate assistance to the victims.
According to sources, In 2015, a major earthquake that struck the country's northeast killed over 200 people in Afghanistan and neighbouring northern Pakistan. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 2002 killed about 1,000 people in Northern Afghanistan.
