Earthquake Kills At Least 20 In Northern Afghanistan

Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, A powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500 others, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The 6.3-magnitude quake, which hit at a depth of 28 kilometres, had its epicentre near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“Based on the information we have so far, 534 people have been injured and more than 20 fatalities have been taken to hospitals in Samangan and Balkh provinces,” said Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman, addressing journalists in Kabul.

In Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities residents fled into the streets in panic as tremors shook the ground. Among the damaged structures was the historic Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark famed for its intricate turquoise tiles. Parts of its minaret collapsed, leaving debris scattered across the courtyard.

Residents in the capital Kabul, about 420 kilometres to the south, also reported feeling the quake.

Poor communication networks and rugged terrain have long hampered disaster response in Afghanistan, where rescue teams often struggle to reach remote mountain communities in time.

The Taliban government confirmed that military personnel had cleared and reopened the main road linking Mazar-i-Sharif and Kholm to aid relief efforts.

“Numerous homes have been destroyed, and significant material losses have been incurred,” said Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban authorities, in a post on X.

This latest disaster adds to a string of deadly earthquakes that have struck the country in recent years. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban administration has faced three major quakes, even as international aid once crucial to Afghanistan’s recovery has drastically declined.

In August 2025, a 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people and caused an estimated $183 million in damages, according to the World Bank.

Afghanistan lies along a major tectonic fault line where the Eurasian and Indian plates meet, making it one of the most seismically active regions in Asia.

Compounding the devastation, the country remains in the grip of a worsening humanitarian crisis, marked by food shortages, drought, banking restrictions, and the mass return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan.

Aid agencies and the United Nations have warned that hunger levels are rising sharply, with millions now relying on limited relief efforts to survive.