A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500, officials said Monday. The tremor struck at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles) near Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey.
Health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said, “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.” The quake, which rattled one of Afghanistan’s most populated regions, sent residents fleeing into the streets in panic.
In Mazar-i-Sharif, the city’s iconic 15th-century Blue Mosque, famed for its vibrant tiles and religious significance, suffered visible damage. Parts of one of its minarets broke off and lay scattered across the courtyard, one of the country’s few remaining tourist attractions.
Even residents in Kabul, about 420 kilometres to the south, felt the shaking. Correspondents in the capital reported tremors strong enough to rattle homes and send people outdoors.
Taliban authorities said emergency teams had cleared and reopened the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kholm after landslides cut off access. “Numerous homes have been destroyed, and significant material losses have been incurred,” Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on X.
The defence ministry reported rescuing several stranded people overnight as it worked to restore communication lines and road access in affected areas. Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure have long slowed disaster response and aid delivery.
This marks the latest in a string of deadly natural disasters since the Taliban took power in 2021. In August, a 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people and caused about $183 million in damage, according to the World Bank.
Earthquakes are frequent in Afghanistan, sitting on the boundary where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates collide. Past quakes in Herat and Nangarhar provinces have also claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed thousands of poorly built homes.
Decades of war have left Afghanistan’s infrastructure fragile and its population vulnerable. The country faces overlapping crises—drought, banking restrictions, and the forced return of citizens from Iran and Pakistan, while hunger continues to rise, aid agencies warn.
The United Nations has repeatedly appealed for international support, saying Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs are worsening even as global attention wanes.