• India stands by Afghanistan, says PM Modi as earthquake claims nearly 1,000 lives

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    India stands by Afghanistan, says PM Modi as earthquake claims nearly 1,000 lives

    At least 1,000 people have been killed and almost 1,500 have been injured as a result of a strong earthquake that slammed a remote border region of Afghanistan early on Wednesday. 

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    color:#424242">Digital Desk: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
    expressed his sympathies for the catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan. He
    also emphasised that India stands with its neighbour and is prepared to offer
    any assistance as soon as possible.



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    color:#424242">I was deeply horrified to hear about the recent tragic
    earthquake in Afghanistan. My sincere sympathy for the loss of such priceless
    lives. India supports the Afghan people during this trying time and is prepared
    to give all available disaster relief supplies as soon as feasible, according
    to a tweet from Modi.



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    color:#424242">Ambassador of Afghanistan to India Farid Mamundzay was grateful
    for India's assistance. "Appreciate India's solidarity and assistance
    during this trying period. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan was
    already deteriorating rapidly, and recent natural calamities like the
    earthquake have made life insurmountably difficult for many Afghans
    "Tweets from Mamundzay.



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    color:#424242">At least 1,000 people have been killed and almost 1,500 have
    been injured as a result of a strong earthquake that slammed a remote border
    region of Afghanistan early on Wednesday. As desperate rescuers search amid
    collapsed homes, the death toll is certain to grow.



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    color:#424242">According to accounts, there were still unidentified numbers of
    persons trapped beneath the debris, and the rescue efforts were made more
    difficult by landslides and rain. Despite continued search and rescue
    operations, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of
    Humanitarian Affairs told Reuters that "helicopters are allegedly unable
    to land this afternoon" due to severe rain and wind.



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    color:#424242">The hardest affected province was Paktika in the east. The
    neighbouring provinces of Khost and Nangahar, which border Pakistan, also
    reported casualties and property damage. Since a landslide in the northeastern
    Badakhshan region killed 2,000 people in 2014, the earthquake was the greatest
    disaster to ever affect the country.

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