Survivors of a series of powerful earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday have spent a second night sleeping amid the rubble of demolished villages as they search for loved ones using shovels, amid a death toll senior Taliban officials have said is approaching 3,000.

In the regional capital of Herat city people slept in public parks and streets, fearing further tremors. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 4.7-magnitude earthquake on Monday at 2.16pm local time (1046 BST) 19 miles (30km) south-east of the central Qarabagh village in the Gulran district of Herat, and another 4.9-magnitude quake struck the remote area just before noon.

“We have concerns that there may be additional casualties in that area as well,” a Taliban official said. “Our teams are currently en route to provide assistance to those affected regions.”

Saturday’s 6.3-magnitude quake – followed by eight strong aftershocks – jolted hard-to-reach areas near Herat, toppling rural homes and sending panicked city dwellers into the streets. Afghanistan is already in the grip of a dire humanitarian crisis, with the widespread withdrawal of foreign aid after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.