The death toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan rose sharply again Sunday to at least 2,445 as rescuers scrabbled for survivors among the ruins of razed villages.
Saturday's magnitude 6.3 quake -- followed by eight strong aftershocks -- jolted hard-to-reach areas 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Herat, toppling rural homes and sending panicked city dwellers surging into the streets.
