2023 Herat earthquakes

2023 Herat earthquakes

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Magnitude	6.3 ṃ
Depth	14 km (8.7 mi)
Epicenter
Type	Thrust
Areas affected	Afghanistan, Iran
Max. intensity	VIII (Severe)
Casualties	>2,445 dead, >2,000 injured

Two earthquakes, both with magnitudes of 6.3, struck Herat, Afghanistan, on 7 October 2023. The first earthquake struck at 11:11 AFT followed by the second shock 31 minutes later. These earthquakes left at least 2,445 people dead and 2,000 others injured. One injury and minor damage also occurred in Iran. The earthquake was Afghanistan's deadliest since 1998.

Tectonic setting

Afghanistan is situated within the broad and complex zone of collision between the Arabian Plate, the Indian Plate, and the Eurasian Plate. The western part of the country is subdivided into the North Afghan Platform to the north and a series of accreted terranes to the south. The North Afghan Platform has remained relatively tectonically stable since the Variscan Orogeny during the Late Palaeozoic, when it became part of Eurasia. To the south there is a collage of continental fragments and magmatic arcs that have been progressively accreted, particularly in the Mesozoic period. The boundary between these two crustal areas is the major right-lateral strike-slip Harirud (or Herat) Fault, which is far less seismically active than the Chaman Fault that runs through the east of the country. To the north of the Harirud Fault, the near parallel Band-e Turkestan Fault does show signs of recent activity, also in a right-lateral sense.

Earthquake

The first event, with a magnitude of 6.3, struck at 11:11 AFT (06:41 UTC). A magnitude 5.5 aftershock occurred eight minutes later. Another magnitude 6.3 event struck at 11:42 AFT (07:12 UTC), followed by a magnitude 5.9 aftershock. Both events and the ṃ5.9 aftershock had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).

The United States Geological Survey said these earthquakes were the result of shallow thrust faulting. The fault plane solution indicate a rupture source striking east–west with a north or south dip. The seismicity of Afghanistan is attributed to the complex and active tectonic interactions between the Arabian, Eurasian, and Indian plates. Within 250 km (160 mi) of the 7 October earthquakes epicenters, there has been seven magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes with epicenters in Iran. These include a ṃ 7.3 earthquake in May 1997 and a ṃ 7.1 earthquake in 1979. In June 2022, eastern Afghanistan was affected by an earthquake that killed over 1,000 people.

Impact

According to the Ministry of Disasters, there were over 2,445 fatalities. The Afghan Red Crescent Society reported at least 500 deaths. More than 2,000 people were injured. Telephone communications were also lost. In addition to the destruction in Herat Province, collapsed houses and injuries were also reported in the neighbouring provinces of Badghis and Farah. Landslides also occurred.

Over 1,320 houses were damaged or destroyed. Homes constructed of mud constituted the hardest-hit settlements; a resident of one of the affected areas said many homes collapsed during the first earthquake. An official representing the National Disaster Management Authority said in several villages with populations of 1,000, only 100 out of an estimated 300 houses remained intact.

Twelve villages in Zinda Jan District and six in Ghorian District were destroyed. The village of Nayeb Rafi was completely razed and nearly 80 percent of its population perished, equivalent to about 1,200–1,300 residents. Entire families, including some with 30 members, were reportedly trapped under the rubble. In the village of Sarboland, dozens of houses were levelled and a resident said at least 30 people died.

Medieval-era minarets in Herat also sustained damage. Plasters from walls fell while parts of buildings collapsed in the city. In Iran, one person in Torbat-e Jam was injured and minor damage to houses occurred in Taybad.

Aftermath

The World Health Organization dispatched 12 ambulances to Zinda Jan District to transport casualties to hospitals. The United Nations dispatched four ambulances carrying doctors and psychosocial support counsellors to a hospital. The Associated Press reported on 9 October that three mobile health teams were expected to be in Zinda Jan District. Five medical tents designed to assist 80 patients were established by Doctors Without Borders at Herat Regional Hospital. Seven teams of the Afghan Red Crescent Society were involved in rescue efforts while more teams were expected to arrive from eight other provinces. A spokesman for the organization said people made homeless were residing at a temporary shelter.

Ten rescue groups were also dispatched. Communication outage and blocked roads hampered rescue missions. In affected villages, residents used shovels and their bare hands to retrieve survivors beneath the rubble. A Kabul police spokesperson said on 8 October that the affected people required food and shelter. Personnel from the military and nonprofit organizations such as the Red Crescent also participated in rescue missions.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expressed his condolences to the victims of the earthquake. The Taliban also launched an appeal for aid. A provincial health department official said over 200 bodies were transported to hospitals and many of the dead were women and children. The main hospital of Herat prepared for the large inflow of victims by lining-up beds outside.

Reactions

• Kosovo: President Vjosa Osmani expressed her condolences to the victims of the earthquake.
• Turkey: Ministry of Foreign Affairs has extended its condolences to the people of Afghanistan and expressed sympathy for the recovery of the injured.
• United States: The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has announced that the United States is carefully following the impact of the earthquake in northwest Afghanistan. Adding that our humanitarian partners are responding with urgent aid in support of the people of Afghanistan.

See also

• List of earthquakes in 2023
• List of earthquakes in Afghanistan