At Least 20 Dead After 6.3-Magnitude Quake Strikes Northern Afghanistan

Overview

• USGS reports a magnitude-6.3 earthquake at about 01:00 local time near Kholm by Mazar-e-Sharif at a depth of 28 km.
• Taliban health ministry cites at least 20 dead and, in the latest tallies, more than 500 injured, after earlier disaster-agency figures put deaths at nine with 143 injured in Samangan.
• Balkh and Samangan provinces were hardest hit, and part of Mazar-e-Sharif’s Blue Mosque complex sustained damage, according to local officials.
• Rescue units and medical teams were deployed, hospitals were put on alert, a blocked road was reopened, and the UN mission said it is supporting response efforts, though weak communications hinder assessments.
• USGS issued an orange PAGER alert for potentially widespread damage, tremors were felt as far as Kabul, residents rushed outdoors, and the national power utility reported interruptions across the country including the capital.