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At least 20 people have been killed and hundreds injured after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, shaking homes across the region and damaging one of the country's most sacred landmarks, the historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake hit around 1:00 a.m. local time near Mazar-e-Sharif, a city of roughly half a million residents, at a depth of 28 kilometers. Afghan officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue efforts reach remote areas in Balkh and Samangan provinces.
Health Ministry spokesperson Sharfat Zaman confirmed more than 500 injuries, with hospitals placed on emergency alert. "Our rescue and health teams are on-site, and all nearby hospitals are on standby to treat the injured," he said.
Videos released by the Afghan Red Crescent and the Taliban's Ministry of Defense showed soldiers and volunteers digging through rubble, pulling victims from collapsed buildings. One survivor, Mohammad Rahim, said the tremors lasted around 15 seconds. "When we got outside, the dust was so thick we couldn't see anything," he told local reporters.
Part of Mazar's 15th-century Blue Mosque, believed to house the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was damaged. Images posted online showed shattered tiles scattered across the courtyard, though the mosque's main dome remained intact.
Power was cut off across several provinces, including the capital, Kabul, after electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, key suppliers to Afghanistan, were damaged. Taliban spokesman Haji Zaid said many of the injuries occurred when residents jumped from tall buildings as the quake struck.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said it was coordinating aid and assessing damage. "We stand with the affected communities and will provide necessary support," the agency wrote on X.
Afghanistan, located on the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is highly prone to earthquakes. Monday's tremor comes just two months after a similar 6.0-magnitude quake in the southeast killed more than 1,100 people, underscoring the country's vulnerability amid fragile infrastructure and limited emergency response systems.
