Rescue Workers in Afghanistan Only Help Men After Earthquake

Rescue workers in Afghanistan have reportedly only assisted men following a recent earthquake. This decision is linked to local cultural norms that prohibit men from touching unfamiliar women. One of the victims recounted that rescuers brought men and boys out of the rubble while leaving women and girls aside. A participant in the rescue operations explained that women were instructed to wait until other women could begin the rescue operations for them. As a result, they remained trapped under the debris for a longer time.

It should be noted that a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan yesterday. According to seismologists, the earthquake occurred 39 kilometers from Jalalabad, a city with a population of 200,000, and 107 kilometers from Peshawar, Pakistan. The epicenter was located at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Later reports indicated that the death toll from the earthquake in Afghanistan has reached 2,204, with nearly 4,000 injured. Authorities have ceased search and rescue operations.