Powerful quake kills at least 14, injures hundreds in northern Afghanistan
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 14 people and injuring hundreds more, according to officials.
The quake hit around 1 a.m. local time (2030 GMT Sunday), with its epicenter located near Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles), the US Geological Survey reported.
Most of the casualties were concentrated in Samangan and Balkh provinces, where rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency said.
Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Health Ministry, confirmed that 14 people were killed and more than 380 were injured across the two provinces. Of these, 260 injuries and 10 deaths were reported in Samangan, while four fatalities and 126 injuries occurred in Balkh province.
Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif described scenes of panic as tremors shook homes and sent people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. Several houses and shops were damaged, and hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with the injured.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise as communication remains limited in remote areas and aftershocks continue to shake the region.
Afghanistan lies in a seismically active zone, frequently experiencing earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush region. Over the past year, multiple deadly quakes have devastated rural communities, further straining the country’s already fragile infrastructure and humanitarian response system.
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