STORY: Hospitals in Herat, Afghanistan crowded with injured people following deadly earthquakes
DATELINE: Oct. 10, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:53
LOCATION: HERAT, Afghanistan
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the aftermath of earthquakes
2. STANDUP (English): MOHAMMAD JAN ARIA, Xinhua reporter
3. various of the views in the hospitals
4. SOUNDBITE (Pashto): QALANDAR EBAD, Acting Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): MOHAMMAD JAN ARIA, Xinhua reporter
"I'm now at a hospital in Herat City (in west Afghanistan). After the deadly quakes shook the city, crowds of injured people were sent to hospitals in the city. Follow our camera to see the situation."

Two earthquakes, each with a magnitude of 6.2, jolted west Afghanistan on Saturday, followed by several aftershocks.

The epicenters were in the Zindajan district of Herat province and so far, 2,445 deaths have been confirmed.

As the number of casualties continued to rise, hospitals in Herat were under great pressure.

Thousands of people were also left homeless. The reconstruction work might be hindered as the weather in the country is getting colder.

The Afghan caretaker government has allocated cash aid to affected families, while countries and aid agencies have announced readiness to dispatch humanitarian aid to the quake-affected areas.

SOUNDBITE (Pashto): QALANDAR EBAD, Acting Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan
"The Islamic Emirate (The Afghan caretaker government) has medicines in its depots, and aid agencies also assisted us. 10, 11 or 12 villages where thousands of people used to live were affected. We have provided humanitarian aid, health assistance, shelter, sanitation, nutrition and clean water to the affected people."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Herat, Afghanistan.
(XHTV)