Earthquake kills at least 20 in northern Afghanistan, injures over 900

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 900 injured after a powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, according to health officials.

The 6.3-magnitude quake hit shortly after 1:30 a.m. local time on Monday, with an epicenter near Khulm in Balkh Province, close to the borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, said at least 20 were killed and 534 people were injured in Balkh and neighboring Samangan Province. He said the figures are likely to rise as rescue teams continue operations in the affected areas.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) later reported that at least 945 people were injured in Monday’s earthquake, including 616 in Balkh Province and 329 in Samangan.

The USGS estimated a 40% chance that the death toll could range between 100 and 1,000, noting that more than 1.6 million people experienced strong to very strong shaking, including residents of Mazār-e Sharīf, a city of over 300,000 near the epicenter.

Images shared on social media showed collapsed homes and significant damage in buildings near Mazār-e Sharīf, where residents described feeling “violent” shaking.

The disaster follows another major earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar Province in August, which, according to the World Health Organization, killed around 3,000 people and injured more than 4,000.