At least 20 people have been killed and more than 320 injured after a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near Mazar-e-Sharif early Monday.
Local authorities warned the death toll could rise as rescue teams comb through the debris. The quake, which struck at a depth of 28km, sent residents fleeing into the streets.
The quake, which hit near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities with a population of about 500,000, struck at around 01:00 local time (20:30 GMT Sunday).
The US Geological Survey reported the quake’s depth at 28 kilometres (17 miles) and categorised it under an orange alert level, meaning significant casualties were likely.
Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesperson for the Taliban government’s Ministry of Health, confirmed that more than 20 people have been killed and more than 320 injured.
He noted that hospitals across Balkh Province were overwhelmed with victims suffering from both minor and severe injuries.
Provincial officials told the media that the number of casualties was expected to rise as rescue efforts continued across the affected districts.
According to Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesperson in Balkh Province, “many people are injured” in the Sholgara District, located south of Mazar-e-Sharif.
He added, “We have received reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province.”
Zaid further revealed that “most of the injuries were caused by people falling from tall buildings” as panic gripped residents during the tremors. Many families fled into the cold night, fearing their homes would collapse.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos in Mazar-e-Sharif, where frightened residents rushed into the streets moments after the quake struck.
“People screamed and ran out barefoot,” one resident said, as several houses and commercial buildings reported cracks and structural damage.
Taliban spokesman Khalid Zadran, based in Kabul, said on X (formerly Twitter) that police units were “closely monitoring the situation” and coordinating with emergency teams on the ground.
In neighbouring Samangan Province, local authorities confirmed that “numerous fatalities” had been reported in mountainous regions where rescue access was difficult due to rough terrain.
The tremor adds to Afghanistan’s long history of devastating earthquakes.
In late August 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country’s eastern highlands, killing more than 1,000 people and flattening entire villages.
The destruction was amplified by the region’s traditional mud-and-timber housing structures, which crumbled instantly during the shaking.
Monday’s quake, though less destructive in scale, is another grim reminder of the country’s seismic vulnerability.
Afghanistan lies on a volatile geological zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, a fault line responsible for frequent and deadly tremors.
Authorities have appealed for calm as emergency operations continue.
Hospitals in Mazar-e-Sharif and neighbouring provinces are treating hundreds of patients, while the Taliban administration has urged communities to remain alert for possible aftershocks.
The Afghan Red Crescent and local volunteers have joined rescue missions, combing through debris for survivors.
However, with limited resources and damaged infrastructure, officials fear the death toll could rise as more remote areas report in.
As dawn broke over Mazar-e-Sharif, residents continued to gather in open spaces, reluctant to return to their homes.
“We are scared to go back inside,” said one man near the city centre. “We have seen what happened in the last big earthquake.”
For a country already grappling with poverty and humanitarian crises, this latest tragedy compounds the suffering of thousands of Afghans, yet again underscoring the fragility of life in one of the world’s most quake-prone regions.
