TEHRAN – Iran’s foreign minister said his country is ready to send relief supplies to earthquake areas in Afghanistan.
“Iran has announced its readiness to immediately dispatch humanitarian aid and relief supplies to the earthquake-affected areas (in Afghanistan),” Foreign Minister Abad Araghchi said in a post on the X Platform. “It is deeply saddening that another devastating earthquake has occurred in parts of northern Afghanistan, killing scores of Afghans and causing severe damage,” he said.
Mr. Araghchi also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Afghan government and people, as well as their families, and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring hundreds more, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
Strong tremors shook the capital Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and northern Samangan province.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and relief operations have begun in the worst-hit areas, with teams already evacuating injured people and supporting affected families.
A major earthquake occurred in early September, killing 2,200 people in the country.