Over 2,000 dead in earthquake in Afghanistan: Taliban

The death toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan rose sharply Sunday to more than 2,000 as rescuers scrabbled for survivors among the ruins of villages razed to the ground.

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.

"Unfortunately, the casualties are practically very high," deputy government spokesman Bilal Karimi said early Sunday, as the extent of the damage became clear.

"The death toll is more than 2,000 people. We are waiting to see how the final figures will turn out," he told agencies.