A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500 others, the country’s health authorities confirmed on Monday.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles), with its epicentre located near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Balkh Province.
“Based on the information we have so far, 534 people have been injured and more than 20 fatalities have been taken to hospitals in Samangan and Balkh provinces,” said Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Health Ministry.
In Mazar-i-Sharif, one of the country’s largest northern cities, residents rushed out of their homes in panic as buildings swayed. An AFP correspondent reported widespread fear and chaos as people filled the streets, some clutching children and valuables.
One of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the 15th-century Blue Mosque, also sustained damage. Parts of its intricate tiled minarets collapsed, scattering debris across the mosque’s courtyard — a symbolic loss for a city known for its cultural and historical heritage.
Residents in Kabul, nearly 420 kilometres to the south, also reported feeling tremors late into the night.
Poor infrastructure and limited communication systems in Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain have made emergency response efforts challenging. Authorities and aid agencies are still assessing the full scale of the damage, with fears that casualties could rise as rescuers reach remote villages.
The quake comes just months after another devastating tremor that struck western Afghanistan, killing thousands and leaving entire communities homeless — underscoring the country’s growing vulnerability to natural disasters amid its ongoing humanitarian crisis.
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