A magnitude 6.3 earthquake has killed at least 20 people as it struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Taliban Ministry of Public Health reported the death toll, raising the estimate as search efforts began. A further 320 people are reported to have been injured.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at 12:59am on Monday (20:29 GMT) at a depth of 28km (17 miles) near Mazar-i-Sharif. Over 500,000 people live in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.
The earthquake also destroyed part of the holy shrine of Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province Spokesperson Haji Zaid said, referring to the Blue Mosque.
The religious complex is believed to house the tomb of the first Shia Imam; a religious leader believed to hold divine knowledge. It is now a site where pilgrims gather to pray and celebrate religious events.
Zaid said earlier on X that “many people are injured” in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-i- Sharif. He disclosed that they had received “reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province.” “Most of the injuries were caused by people falling from tall buildings,” he wrote.
The USGS issued an orange alert in its PAGER system, which is an automated system that produces information on the impact of earthquakes, and indicated that “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread.” The system’s alert added that past events with this alert level have required a regional- or national-level response.
Health Ministry Spokesman, Sharafat Zaman stressed to journalists that the death toll of 20 was only preliminary, adding that the death toll could rise as rescue teams arrive and assess the damage.
Taliban Spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid said on X that the quake also affected the northern provinces of Samangan and Baghlan.
The disaster adds to the list of deadly quakes to hit the country since the Taliban took power in 2021, which has tested the movement’s capacity to govern as foreign aid dwindles. Just two months ago, an earthquake in the east killed more than 2,000.
The quake is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government, which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over the country in 2021, as the foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country’s economy has dramatically dropped.
A shallow magnitude 6.0 quake, the deadliest in recent Afghan history, struck this year on August 31 in the country’s east, killing more than 2,200 people.
Large earthquakes in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Earthquakes are common in the country, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.
Since 1,900, northeastern Afghanistan has been hit by 12 earthquakes with a magnitude above 7.0, according to Brian Baptie, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey.
Afghanistan is contending with multiple crises after decades of war: Endemic poverty, severe drought and the influx of millions of Afghans forced back home by neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.
Many modest Afghan homes are shoddily built, and poor infrastructure hampers rescue efforts after natural disasters like earthquakes.
UN Teams Deliver Aid In Earthquake Aftermath
The United Nations in Afghanistan said on X that its teams were on the ground to deliver aid. “We stand with the affected communities and will provide necessary support,” it said.
According to reports, rescue operations face significant challenges due to poor infrastructure, cold weather, and limited access to mountain villages.
Khalid Zadran, a Taliban Spokesman for the police in Kabul, wrote on X that police teams were “closely monitoring the situation.”
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