The President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, sent his condolences to the people and Government of Afghanistan this Thursday for the more than a thousand deaths and the at least 1,500 injured people left by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that shook Tuesday night the east of the Asian country.
“Given the tragedy that occurred that represented the loss of valuable lives and property of the families of the town of Khost, in that sister country, we send you our sincere condolences and prayers for comfort to all those who have lived closely this suffering. Ortega said in a letter addressed to the Taliban’s top leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
In the letter, also addressed to the prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Kabul, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, the Sandinista leader pointed out that Nicaraguans are aware of “these disasters, we have experienced them and we have lost many loved ones in similar situations.”
“For this reason, as supportive peoples, we identify with their pain, and we ask the Almighty to make possible the recovery, relief and necessary support of the international community,” advocated Ortega, who signed the letter together with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.
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The earthquake struck in eastern Afghanistan where, in the worst-hit district, 70% of homes were destroyed or damaged, while rescue teams are still trying to locate survivors under the rubble.
The earthquake surprised people in their sleep, with little time to flee outside their mud-brick homes in the eastern provinces of Khost, where the epicenter was located, or Paktika, the worst affected by the tragedy.
The number of deceased amounts to 1,030, but the authorities warn that the figures could increase as the rescue work progresses, while, as Islamic tradition dictates, the mass burials began, without time to watch over the corpses.
