A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 300. The quake’s epicentre was near Khulm in Balkh province, about 22 kilometres from Mazar-e-Sharif, at a depth of around 28 kilometres. Tremors were felt in several northern and central provinces, including Kabul.
The quake caused major structural damage in Mazar-e-Sharif, where the historic Blue Mosque, which is also known as the Hazrat Ali Shrine, sustained partial collapse. Residential buildings and mud-brick homes in surrounding villages were destroyed, while power lines and telecommunication networks were disrupted across multiple districts.
Emergency teams and medical units have been dispatched to Balkh and Samangan, but officials said many remote villages remain inaccessible due to landslides and blocked roads. Field hospitals have been set up as local hospitals reach capacity with hundreds of injured.
The US Geological Survey issued an “orange alert,” warning of potentially significant casualties and widespread damage. Local authorities expect the toll to rise as rescue workers reach mountainous areas.
Afghanistan sits along active fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it highly prone to earthquakes. Poor infrastructure and weak construction standards worsen the impact of even moderate tremors.
This quake follows a series of deadly seismic events in 2025, including a 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan that killed over 2,000 people. The disaster adds to the country’s ongoing humanitarian challenges, including food shortages, economic distress, and limited emergency-response capacity.
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