A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, resulting in at least 20 fatalities and over 320 injuries, according to local authorities. Rescue efforts are ongoing amid fears that the death toll could rise.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities with a population of around half a million. Residents felt the tremor at approximately 1 AM local time, prompting many to flee their homes into the streets for fear of collapse.
The spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Health reported the preliminary toll of over 20 dead and 320 injured, while local authorities indicated that these numbers could increase as search and rescue operations continue in affected areas, particularly in the Shulgara district south of Mazar-i-Sharif.
The spokesperson for Balkh province shared on the platform X that “many people have been injured” and most injuries “result from falls from high buildings during the earthquake.” Footage from the famous Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif showed debris scattered in its courtyard.
Additional fatalities have been reported in the nearby Samangan province, as announced by a spokesperson from the province, while police forces in Kabul are closely monitoring the situation.
This earthquake follows another tremor that struck eastern Afghanistan in late August, registering a magnitude of 6.0 and resulting in over a thousand deaths due to the fragile homes constructed from mud and wood in the mountainous regions.
Afghanistan is situated in a seismically active area at the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it susceptible to devastating earthquakes that occur from time to time, causing significant human and material losses each time.
