Twin earthquakes in western Afghanistan kill at least 22

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A local Afghan official says two earthquakes have rattled western Badghis province along the border with Turkmenistan, killing at least 22 people. He says the death toll could rise further as it’s difficult to reach the affected remote region struck by Monday’s temblors. Bas Mohammad Sarwari, chief of the province’s culture and information department, says scores of homes were destroyed in the quakes. The U.S. Geological Survey says it registered a quake of magnitude 5.3 at 2 p.m. and one with magnitude 4.9 at 4 p.m. They struck 41 kilometers east and 50 kilometers southeast of Qala-i-Naw, the provincial capital. Sarwari says frightened residents were fleeing their homes for safety.