KABUL, Afghanistan, June 12 (UPI) -- A rock slide triggered by two earthquakes killed dozens of people in a remote area of northern Afghanistan, a local official said Tuesday.
The U.S. Geological Survey said a 5.4-magnitude quake Monday in Baghlan province was soon followed by a 5.7-magnitude quake in the same area that triggered the slide, CNN reported.
The earthquakes unsettled rocks on a mountainside in Burka district, sending the rocks tumbling onto mud houses, killing 80 to 90 people, Baghlan Gov. Munshi Majid said.
Majid said bulldozers are being used to recover the bodies and clear the rubble. He said if not all bodies could be removed, the area would be a burial site and funeral prayers will be performed on site.
The United Nations said houses were destroyed across five districts, Khaama Press reported.
Burka district is remote and is dotted with a number of mountain villages.
