Overview
- The USGS located the quake near Mazar-i-Sharif at a depth of about 28 kilometers after revising an initial 10-kilometer reading.
- Afghan disaster officials report at least nine fatalities and roughly 260 injuries across Samangan and Balkh, while health authorities earlier cited seven dead and at least 150 injured.
- Provincial spokesman Haji Zaid reported damage to part of the Blue Mosque shrine in Mazar-i-Sharif.
- Shaking was felt as far as Kabul, and residents rushed into the streets during the nighttime tremor, according to AFP correspondents.
- Authorities caution that casualty figures remain provisional as communications gaps and difficult terrain slow assessments, with the disaster coming weeks after a deadly August quake.