A major 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan on Monday, killing more than 180 people and injuring hundreds of others, with tremors felt in neighboring countries including Pakistan and India.
"The devastation is going to be huge. It is very difficult to reach the far-flung villages. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan have no proper disaster management units," Fazl Din, a doctor in Peshawar located about 25 miles from the Afghan frontier bordering Pakistan, told USA Today.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the quake's epicenter was located in the province of Badakhshan in the far northern region of Afghanistan, but shockwaves were felt hundreds of miles away in the the capitals of Pakistan and India. However, no casualties were reported in India.
In Pakistan, buildings collapsed while Afghan capital Kabul experienced power outages and disconnected phone lines.
In Afghanistan, 12 female students were killed in a stampede while trying to escape from their school building in Taloqan, a north-eastern region of Afghanistan.
The National Disaster Management Authority reports that the death toll is likely to steadily rise in the the coming days as remote areas are furthered reached by rescue teams.
Nearly over a decade ago, a 7.6-magnitude quake in a northern Pakistan killed approximately 75,000 people.
World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian non-profit organization, is currently accepting donations to assist earthquake victims with prepositioned emergency supplies, coordinating efforts with authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
"Pray for children and families affected by the earthquake, and for aid organizations and staff that are responding," the organization said in a statement.
