Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has dispatched the first shipment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which was hit by a powerful earthquake, the ministry’s press service told TASS.
“An Il-76 aircraft of the Emergencies Ministry has departed from Zhukovsky Airport near Moscow carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan affected by the devastating earthquake,” the ministry said. A total of 20 tons of food are on board.
The ministry specified that this is the first batch of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan. Another special flight with relief cargo is planned in the coming days. The aid is being provided on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin and by order of the Russian government.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush mountains on August 31. It struck 27 km southwest of the city of Asadabad in eastern Afghanistan. Powerful tremors leveled entire villages, landslides blocked access roads to some settlements, and communications were disrupted. Rescue operations are underway in hard-to-reach mountainous terrain, with airborne special units deployed. According to the latest reports, the death toll has exceeded 2,200, with about 3,600 Afghans injured. On September 2, another earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred in the Hindu Kush.
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Based on TASS materials