A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has shaken Afghanistan in the southeast, killing at least 920 people and injuring more than 600 others, an Afghan emergency response official said.
At a press conference, Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister for disaster management, said the death toll was likely to rise.
The quake struck early Wednesday morning local time and the epicenter was near the town of Khost, about 150km south of Kabul, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Earlier, Abdul Wahid Rayan, director general of the Bakthar news agency, said the quake-hit areas were in mountainous areas, meaning helicopter interventions were being attempted. But he added: "Afghanistan lacks helicopters and these areas that are difficult to access are making it difficult to help."
The Pakistan Meteorological Department said the quake had a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale.
Sources: Guardian, Reuters
