At least 20 people have died and more than 300 have been injured after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early hours on Monday.
The quake hit near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country’s largest cities, at about 1 a.m. local time. According to the US Geological Survey, it occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers and was classified at an orange alert level, meaning significant casualties are likely.
Officials said rescue operations are still ongoing and that the death toll could rise. Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesman for the Taliban government’s health ministry, confirmed that over 20 people had been killed and at least 320 injured.
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, said many of the victims were from Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif. He added that most injuries were caused by people falling from buildings while trying to escape.
Videos shared online showed debris scattered across parts of the city, including around the Blue Mosque, a major religious landmark believed to house the tomb of the first Shia Imam.
Many residents ran into the streets when the tremor struck, fearing their homes would collapse, witnesses told AFP.
Authorities in nearby Samangan province also reported fatalities, though the exact number remains unclear.
The earthquake comes just two months after a 6.0 magnitude tremor in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people.
Experts say Afghanistan remains highly prone to earthquakes because it sits on the meeting point of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
