Shocks raise fears of more victims

Fresh aftershocks struck northern Afghanistan today where the death toll from this week's earthquakes is believed to be more than 2,000.

An Afghan defence ministry spokesman said today: "Casualties have mounted dramatically after new aftershocks early this morning.

"We think the death toll is now far more than 2,000 and is going to go up dramatically as we dig through rubble in Nahrin and reach outlying villages.

"There have been many new casualties in Burkah, about 20km (12 miles) north of Nahrin. So far no substantial aid has reached the area because of destroyed roads.

"The tens of thousands who have fled their homes have settled in deserts and hills in the open air without food, shelter or water. It is desperate."

Earthquakes on Monday night and yesterday devastated Nahrin, a district capital of mud-brick buildings with a population of 10,000 in the Hindu Kush mountains.

Aid agencies at the scene, however, said the death toll could be much lower than initial government figures suggest. Ros O'Sullivan, project coordinator from Concern Worldwide, said aid workers believe 200 people were killed while up to 30,000 people had been made homeless in Nahrin and the immediate area.

However, a UN spokesman said confusion over the number of dead was common in the early stages of disasters such as this, especially in remote areas where communication is poor and where people who flee are often initially reported as dead.

The old part of Nahrin - which lies about 90 miles north of Kabul - was flattened and 40 other villages on the Nahrin plain were affected. Aid agencies are preparing shelters for up to 7,000 families in that area alone.

"These people were hit by 20 years of war, three to four years of drought and now comes the earthquake," said Mirielle Borne, an aid worker with the independent agency Acted.

Immediate concerns included transporting water, food and shelter to the area, she said, adding: "It is cold, but there is no rain or snow, and people are either sleeping at relatives' homes or are sheltering in the rubble."

Villagers from the more remote regions are expected to arrive in regional centres in the coming days, seeking help and bringing word of additional damage and casualties.

About 600 bodies were recovered yesterday, according to the Afghan government, although regional commander General Haider Khan estimated between 600 and 1,000 people remain trapped today.

The general said how shaken he was by the scenes of devastation as he toured the area by helicopter. In one village, he described how workers pulled 10 members of a single family from the ruins. Only one family member, an 11-year-old boy, survived. "It was very, very difficult for me to look at this," said General Khan.

Many roads are impassable and six Afghan army helicopters have flown to the region to remove the dead and deliver medical kits and other supplies. Meanwhile, US forces, international peacekeepers and aid agencies are also mobilising aid and specialised help.