Overview
- USGS measured a magnitude-6.3 earthquake just before 1 a.m. local time near Khulm in Balkh Province with an estimated depth of about 28 kilometers.
- The Taliban’s interim authorities report at least 20 fatalities and more than 530 injuries, with assessments still underway.
- Damage is reported in Balkh and neighboring Samangan, where residential structures and community buildings were hit.
- Mazar-i-Sharif’s famed Blue Mosque was reported partially damaged during the shaking.
- The quake struck close to a major urban center in a country with vulnerable housing, a concern underscored by the August 31 eastern quake that killed over 2,000 people.