A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 rattled northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, resulting in at least 20 fatalities and over 500 injuries, according to a health official. The official warned that these figures could potentially rise. The U.S. Geological Survey pinpointed the quake’s epicenter 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm, striking at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) at 12:59 a.m.
Sharafat Zaman, a representative for the Ministry of Public Health, reported that 534 injured individuals and 20 deceased had been transported to medical facilities in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan. Rescue teams were actively working at the scene, and the casualty figures were subject to change, Zaman added.
In the neighboring province of Badakhshan, the tremor resulted in the partial or total destruction of 800 homes in a village in the Shahr-e-Bozorg district, according to Ihsanullah Kamgar, a spokesperson for the provincial police headquarters. However, due to the lack of internet connectivity in the remote area, accurate casualty figures were not immediately available.
Yousaf Hammad, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s disaster management agency, stated that the majority of the injured sustained minor injuries and were released following treatment. In Kabul, the Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and emergency teams had reached the most affected areas in Balkh and Samangan, providing aid and transporting the injured.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Taliban government, acknowledged the casualties and financial losses caused by the earthquake on social media. He assured that government organizations were mobilizing to provide necessary assistance.
The tremor was also felt in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, where social media footage revealed damage to the historic Blue Mosque. Despite several bricks falling from the walls, the mosque, a centuries-old site of religious and cultural significance, remained intact.
The quake was also felt in Kabul and several other provinces. The Defense Ministry reported that a rockslide temporarily blocked a main mountain highway linking Kabul with Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road was later reopened. Some individuals who were injured and trapped along the highway were transported to the hospital.
The United Nations in Afghanistan noted that this earthquake occurred just weeks after another deadly quake hit eastern Afghanistan. The U.N. confirmed that its teams were on the ground assessing needs and delivering urgent aid.
Afghanistan, a country grappling with poverty, often struggles to respond to such natural disasters, particularly in remote regions. The country’s infrastructure, largely composed of low-rise concrete and brick buildings, with rural homes often made from mud bricks and wood, is frequently poorly constructed.