Deadly earthquake of 6.3 magnitude hits northern Afghanistan
A magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif early Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city’s historic Blue Mosque, officials said, with the death toll likely to rise.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 28 kilometers near Mazar-e Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000.
At least 20 people were killed and about 320 were injured, health ministry spokesman Sharfat Zaman said, but officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams reached remote villages in the worst-hit provinces of Balkh and Samangan.
Videos shared on social media platform X showed emergency responders searching for survivors. A video showed rescue workers pulling out bodies from collapsed buildings. Reuters could not immediately verify footage of the rescue efforts.
“Our rescue and health teams have reached the area and the leadership has kept all nearby hospitals on standby to treat the injured,” Zaman said.
damage to the historical mosque
Balkh province spokesman Haji Zaid said the quake damaged part of the Blue Mosque, Mazar-e-Sharif’s holiest shrine.
The mosque is considered one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan and is believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law. The present structure was built in the 15th century.
Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed broken masonry and tiles lying in the mosque’s courtyard, although the main structure remained standing.
The disaster is the latest challenge to the Taliban administration in war-torn Afghanistan, which is already grappling with crises including an August earthquake that killed thousands, a sharp decline in foreign aid and mass deportations of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries.
National electricity supplier Da Afghanistan Bresna Company said in a statement that the earthquake caused power disruptions across the country, including the capital Kabul.
“Significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread,” the USGS said.
Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies on two active faults that are prone to rupture and cause widespread damage.
More than 2,200 people were killed and thousands more injured after an earthquake and strong aftershocks struck the war-torn Islamic country’s southeast in late August.
The system’s alerts state that previous events with this alert level required a regional or national level response.
