New earthquake hits Afghanistan as death toll from first rises to 2,205
LONDON -- Another earthquake has hit eastern Afghanistan as the death toll from Sunday's powerful earthquake climbed to 2,205, with another 3,640 people injured, a Taliban government spokesman said Thursday.
The Thursday earthquake was a moderate 5.6 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center. It was still unclear whether the new quake caused further damage.
Search and rescue efforts from the initial quake are ongoing in the affected areas, according to Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, who provided the updated casualty numbers via social media.
"Tents have been installed for displaced families in multiple locations," he said, "and the organized distribution of primary and urgent humanitarian assistance is currently underway."
The 6.0 magnitude quake struck just before midnight on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A series of aftershocks struck amid rescue efforts, including a 5.2 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday about 20 miles northeast of Jalalabad, according to the USGS.
