'Covered in dust and too shocked to speak': Afghan villagers reel at scale of quake's devastation

The devastating earthquake that struck Afghanistan on June 22nd, 2022, has left the affected villages in a state of shock and despair. The quake, with a magnitude of 5.9, caused widespread destruction, particularly in the remote mountainous regions, where villages were cut off by landslides and rockfalls. Survivors, covered in dust and visibly shaken, have been working tirelessly to pull the injured and the dead from the rubble of collapsed homes and buildings. The scale of the devastation is overwhelming, with entire communities struggling to comprehend the extent of the loss. The rescue efforts have been hindered by the remote location and the lack of resources, forcing the villagers to rely on their own limited means to provide aid and support to the victims. The Afghan government has pledged assistance, but the challenges of reaching these isolated areas have slowed the response. As the full extent of the tragedy becomes clear, the affected communities are left to grapple with the immense human cost and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of this natural disaster.