Eastern Afghanistan earthquake kills at least 255 people
Kabul (AP): Afghanistan's state-run news agency says at least 255 people have killed in an earthquake that struck the country's eastern Paktika province.
The state-run Bakhtar news agency reported the death toll Wednesday and said rescuers were arriving by helicopter.
Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6 temblor that struck Paktika province, but it comes as the international community largely has left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year amid the chaotic withdrawal of the US military from the longest war in its history.
That likely will complicate any relief efforts for this country of 38 million people.
Footage from Paktika province near the Pakistan border showed victims being carried into helicopters to be airlifted from the area. Images widely circulating online from the province showed destroyed stone houses, with residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble.
A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses, Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, separately wrote on Twitter. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.
Neighbouring Pakistan's Meteorological Department put the earthquake at a magnitude 6.1. Tremors were felt in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere in the eastern Punjab province.
The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquake's tremors were felt over 500 km (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
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Fact- checker Mohammed Zubair schools Uttarakhand CM over “PR call” to Tripura student’s family
New Delhi/Dehradun: Journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair on Monday criticised Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over what he described as a delayed response to the killing of Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, calling the chief minister’s outreach a “PR call” after days of public outrage.
In a post on X, Zubair pointed out that Anjel Chakma was attacked on December 9 and died on December 26 after weeks of treatment. He noted that the incident was reported by local media and discussed on social media on the very day of the attack, while national media covered it from December 27 onwards. Zubair said widespread outrage persisted online for two to three days before the chief minister finally spoke to the victim’s family.
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“Finally Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami wakes up and decides to do a PR call,” Zubair wrote, questioning the timing of the response rather than the assurance itself.
Zubair’s remarks came shortly after the Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Office said Dhami had spoken to Anjel’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, and assured strict action against those responsible. Dhami expressed condolences and said the culprits would be given the harshest punishment. The chief minister also said he had spoken to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the case.
A video of Dhami speaking to the victim’s family on his phone was also shared later by ANI and other media outlets. Zubair made the tweet while replying to the video of X.
Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, was allegedly assaulted by a group of youths in the Selakui area under Premnagar police station limits on December 9. Police said Anjel and his brother Michael were attacked with knives and blunt objects following an argument. Anjel suffered serious injuries and later died while undergoing treatment.
So far, five accused have been arrested, while one suspect, believed to have fled to Nepal, remains absconding. Uttarakhand Police have announced a reward for information leading to his arrest.
The killing triggered protests and candlelight marches in Tripura, particularly by members of the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation and other student bodies, who have demanded swift justice and highlighted concerns over repeated attacks on people from the Northeast in other states.
Political reactions have also followed, with Congress leaders linking the incident to what they describe as a climate of normalised hate. Against this backdrop, Zubair’s post has added to the debate by shifting focus to the timing and optics of the state government’s response, rather than its stated assurances alone.
