Powerful Earthquake Strikes Northern Afghanistan

A powerful earthquake has struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, killing at east four people, rattling homes and sending thousands into the streets late Monday night.

The 6.3-magnitude quake, recorded at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles), hit the region at around 20:30 GMT (01:00 local time), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The agency warned of “significant casualties” and a “potentially widespread” disaster due to the shallow depth and densely populated area.

In a statement posted on X at about 02:00 local time (21:30 GMT), a Taliban spokesman in Balkh Province-of which Mazar-e-Sharif is the capital, said local authorities had received “reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province.”

“Most of the injuries were caused by people falling from tall buildings,” the spokesman wrote, as residents rushed out in panic fearing their homes would collapse.

With a population exceeding 500,000, Mazar-e-Sharif is one of Afghanistan’s largest and most historic cities. Witnesses told AFP that frightened residents gathered in open spaces and parks in the cold night, reluctant to return indoors as aftershocks continued to shake the city.

A video posted by the Taliban official showed debris scattered across the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

The centuries-old complex, believed to contain the tomb of the first Shia Imam, is a major religious and cultural site, drawing pilgrims from across the country.

Afghanistan sits at the junction of several major tectonic fault lines, making it one of the most earthquake-prone nations in Asia.

The latest tremor comes barely two months after a 6.0-magnitude quake in the country’s eastern mountains killed more than a thousand people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Emergency response teams have been deployed in Balkh Province, though communication with remote districts remains limited.

The full extent of the damage and casualties is still being assessed.