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2mo ago

6.3-Magnitude Quake Strikes Northern Afghanistan, Killing at Least 20 and Injuring Hundreds

Officials say counts are preliminary pending full access to remote districts, with formal damage assessments to follow.

A Afghan Red Crescent rescue worker seen sifting through the destruction and rubble after a 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan's Balkh province on Monday
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Afghan men assist an injured man into an ambulance in the aftermath of an earthquake, that struck overnight at Mazar-i-Sharif on November 3, 2025. A 6.3-magnitude strong earthquake killed at least nine people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said on November 3, just months after another deadly tremor left the country reeling. (Photo by Atif Aryan / AFP) (Photo by ATIF ARYAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • USGS reported the quake just before 1 a.m. local time near Khulm/Mazar-i-Sharif at a depth of about 28 km and issued an orange PAGER alert warning of likely significant casualties.
  • Health ministry and provincial officials cited at least 20 deaths with injuries ranging from roughly 320 to 534, mainly in Balkh and Samangan provinces.
  • The historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif sustained damage, with pieces from a minaret and other ornate sections reported fallen.
  • Rescue and emergency teams from the defense and disaster agencies reached affected areas, and a rockslide-blocked Kabul–Mazar highway was cleared and reopened.
  • Shaking was felt in Kabul and across parts of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, underscoring Afghanistan’s recurring earthquake risk and strained response capacity.