Casualties of Afghanistan's quake soar to 31

KABUL, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The number of casualties of an earthquake that struck the eastern region of Afghanistan on Monday has reached 31, state-run Bakhtar news agency reported Tuesday.

"Thirty-one people were injured and dozens of houses were destroyed in the earthquake in Gayan and Ziruk districts of Paktika province last night," Bakhter quoted provincial director of information and culture, Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, as saying.

According to the official, 13 people, including women and children, were injured in Gayan and 18 others in Ziruk district of the province.

Two more people, according to Kalim Gul, a local official of the neighboring Khost province, were injured in Spera district due to the 5.1-magnitude tremor, according to U.S. geological survey on Monday.

No deaths have been reported in the quake-stricken areas.

Scores of houses were also destroyed due to the tremor, according to local officials.

According to locals, about 30 tremors have been felt in Gayan district since Monday. The state-run Bakhtar news agency has also reported frequent aftershocks in Gayan district.

In the previous tremor that struck the mentioned districts on June 22, at least 1,000 people, according to officials, were killed, while more than 3,000 others were injured and 17,816 houses destroyed.