A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif early Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and causing damage to the city's historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 28 kilometers near Mazar-i-Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000.
At least 20 people were killed and about 320 injured, Health Ministry spokesman Sharfat Zaman said, but officials warned the death toll could rise as rescue teams reach remote villages in the worst-hit Balkh and Samangan provinces.
Video posted on social media site X shows emergency personnel searching through the rubble for survivors. One video shows rescuers pulling corpse-like objects from collapsed buildings. Reuters could not immediately verify footage of the rescue efforts.
“Our rescue and medical teams have reached the area and all nearby hospitals have been placed on standby by management to treat the injured,” Zaman said.
Damage to a historical mosque
The earthquake damaged part of the Blue Mosque, Mazar-i-Sharif's holiest shrine, Balkh provincial spokesman Haji Zayed said.
The mosque is considered one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan and is believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. The current structure was built in the 15th century.
Footage posted on social media and reviewed by Reuters showed broken masonry and tiles lying in the courtyard of the mosque, although the main structure remained standing.
The disaster was the latest test for the war-torn Taliban administration in Afghanistan, which is already grappling with crises including an August earthquake that killed thousands, sharp cuts in foreign aid and mass deportations of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries.
The earthquake disrupted power supplies across the country, including in the capital Kabul, national electricity supplier Da Afghanistan Breshna said in a statement.
The USGS said “significant casualties and potentially widespread disaster are likely.”
Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on two active faults that can rupture and cause significant damage.
More than 2,200 people were killed and thousands injured when an earthquake and strong tremors struck the war-torn Islamic country's southeast in late August.
Past events at this alert level have required a regional or national response, the system said.
