Death toll from Afghan quakes doubles to more than 2,000

HERAT, Afghanistan: The death toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan rose sharply again Sunday to more than 2,000 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 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Herat, toppling rural homes and sending panicked city dwellers surging into the streets.