Afghanistan's deadliest earthquake in two decades killed at least 1,000 people near the southeastern city of Khost.
"The government is working within its capabilities," tweeted Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official.
"President Biden is monitoring developments and has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess US response options to help those most affected," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday evening that it was not aware of any Australian casualties, adding that it had received no calls to the consular emergency centre."Inter-agency assessment teams have already been deployed to a number of affected areas," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan said on Twitter.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes - especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
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