The death toll from the earthquake in northern Afghanistan has reached at least 20 people, local authorities report. The number of victims is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue, UNN writes with reference to the BBC.
Details
Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesman for the Taliban government's health ministry, said more than 20 people had died and more than 320 were injured.
The earthquake occurred near Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan's largest cities with a population of about 500,000, early Monday morning, around 01:00 local time (22:30 Kyiv time on Sunday).
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 and was at a depth of 28 km. The danger level was orange, meaning the possibility of "significant casualties."
Earlier, provincial officials said the death toll was likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, previously wrote on X that "many people were injured" in the Sholgar district, south of Mazar-i-Sharif.
He reported that "reports of minor injuries and minor damage" had been received from all districts of the province.
"Most of the injuries were caused by falling from tall buildings," he wrote.
Mazar-i-Sharif is home to over 500,000 people. Many residents of the city ran into the streets after the earthquake, fearing their homes would collapse, AFP news agency reported.
The Taliban representative in Balkh also posted a video on X showing debris scattered on the ground near the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, which is revered by Shiite Muslims. This religious complex is believed to house the tomb of the first Shiite Imam - a religious leader who possessed divine knowledge. Today, it is a place where pilgrims gather for prayers and religious holidays.
According to the representative, numerous casualties were also registered in Samangan, a mountainous province near Mazar-i-Sharif.
Addition
Monday's earthquake followed a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan's mountainous eastern region in late August, which killed more than 1,000 people.
This earthquake was particularly devastating because rural homes in the region were typically built of mud and wood. Residents were trapped when their homes collapsed during the earthquake.
Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes due to its location on fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.