UN chief 'saddened' by earthquake in Afghanistan, urges solidarity

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said he was "saddened" by Tuesday's deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan and called for solidarity with the nation.

Over 1,000 people were reported to have died and nearly 1,600 were injured after a jolt hit Paktika province, according to local authorities. The death toll is feared to rise.

"I was saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life caused by the earthquake which struck Afghanistan earlier today local time near the city of Khost," said Guterres in a statement.

Paktika and Khost are the most affected provinces of the country where hundreds of houses were destroyed by Tuesday night's magnitude 6.1 earthquake.

"My heart goes out to the people of Afghanistan who are already reeling from the impact of years of conflict, economic hardship and hunger.

"I convey my deep condolences to the families of the victims and wish speedy recovery to the injured," he said.

The UN chief said the international body's mission in Afghanistan is fully mobilized and teams are on the ground to assess the needs of quake-impacted people and to provide initial support.

"We count on the international community to help support the hundreds of families hit by this latest disaster. Now is the time for solidarity," said Guterres.