VOA新闻杂志2022--阿富汗东部地震已致1000人死亡

A powerful earthquake hit a rural, mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday. The state-run news agency said the quake killed at least 1,000 people and injured 1,500 more. Officials also warned that the number is expected to rise.

It was the deadliest quake in Afghanistan for 20 years. In March 2002, a total of 1,100 were killed after the earthquakes in the Hindu Kush area.

Wednesday's disaster is a major test for the Taliban-led government. The group seized power last year after the U.S. and NATO allies pulled out of the country.

Rescuers arrived at the area by helicopter. But the rescue operation is likely to be difficult without international assistance.

The Taliban's supreme¹ leader Haibatullah Akhundzadah rarely appears in public. On Wednesday, he called for "the international community and all humanitarian² organizations to help the Afghan people affected³ by this great tragedy and to spare no effort to help the affected people."

Neighboring Pakistan's Meteorological Department said the quake's center was in Afghanistan's Paktika area. That is about 50 kilometers southwest of the city of Khost. Buildings were damaged in Khost and tremors⁴ were felt about 375 kilometers away in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

There is still little information on Wednesday's 6.1 magnitude quake. But quakes of that strength can cause serious damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly made. There are also landslides⁵ in the area.

Images from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to helicopters. Others were treated on the ground. Some images showed people looking through bricks and stones from destroyed houses, many of which had collapsed⁶ roofs or walls.

Robert Saunders is a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He said an earthquake of that size would not create so much destruction in most places in the world. But a quake's damage often depends on geography, building quality and population density⁷.

"Because of the mountainous area, there are rockslides and landslides that we won't know about until later reporting. Older buildings are likely to crumble⁸ and fail," Saunders said.

In Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund organized an emergency meeting to plan a recovery effort. And a Taliban official added, "When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries."

A U.N. official in Afghanistan said that help is on its way but that may be difficult. Many international aid groups had left the country following the U.S. exit because of concerns about security and the Taliban's poor human rights record.

The Italian medical aid group Emergency still operates in Afghanistan. The organization said it sent seven ambulances and workers to the areas closest to the earthquake. And Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of neighboring Pakistan said his nation would provide help.

Words in This Story

spare — v. to not do or provide

tremor— n. a shaking movement of the ground before or after an earthquake

magnitude — n. the size, extent, or importance of something

density — n. the quality of having parts that are close together

crumble — v. to break into small pieces

ambulance — n. a vehicle used for taking hurt or sick people to the hospital especially in emergencies

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

5 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

6 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

7 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

8 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。