Overview
- USGS reports a magnitude 6.3 earthquake at roughly 28 km depth near Kholm/Mazar-i-Sharif, with multiple aftershocks up to magnitude 5.2.
- Officials confirm more than 20 deaths and over 500 injuries, with some counts exceeding 600 as search-and-rescue continues and figures remain provisional.
- State utility DABS says imported high‑voltage lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were damaged, leaving provinces including Kabul without power as repairs proceed.
- The Blue Mosque in Mazar‑i‑Sharif sustained visible damage, with fallen tiles and parts of a minaret, while rural adobe homes suffered collapses.
- Taliban disaster, defense, and health teams deployed to Samangan and Balkh, key roads have been cleared, and UN agencies are assessing needs and coordinating aid.