A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday local time, according to the USGS and local authorities, sparking fears of mass casualties and the need for a widespread response.
“Based on initial information, the magnitude of the earthquake was more than 6, and the epicenter was in the Nakhchir district of Samangan province,” the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.
Afghan Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said more than 20 people were killed and about 320 injured in the Balkh and Samangan provinces, French news agency AFP reported. He emphasized that it was an initial toll.
Haji Zahid, a Balkh province spokesperson, shared a video on X showing people digging with shovels to try to rescue survivors.
Afghan Red Crescent / Handout via Reuters
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 6.3 with a depth of 28.0 km (about 17 miles) and designated the earthquake as “code orange,” indicating significant casualties and extensive economic losses are likely, requiring a national-level response, the USGS said.
Videos released appear to show the jolt lasting almost 20 seconds, and the earthquake was so powerful that people felt it in the capital of Kabul and other provinces.
Afghanistan Ministry of Defense / Handout via Reuters
The quake also damaged the famed Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to AFP.
The earthquake also triggered a landslide on Samangan-Balkh highway, a key transport route, trapping cars and passengers. Videos shared on social media depict massive rocks blocking the highway and a truck engulfed in flames.
Monday’s quake was just the latest in the region that has many. More than 2,000 people died when a temblor struck eastern Afghanistan in August. Most of those affected still live in tents, according to a recent United Nations report.
