Kabul: The death toll from an overnight earthquake in northern Afghanistan has risen to more than 20, with authorities struggling to reach people trapped under debris in the affected provinces of Samangan and Balkh. At least 320 others have been injured, according to health officials.
Sharafat Zaman Amarakhail, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, said the 6.4-magnitude quake struck several areas early Monday, causing extensive destruction to homes and buildings.
He said all nearby hospitals have been placed on emergency alert, while medical teams have been dispatched to provide first aid to the injured in remote areas. “Rescue and medical teams are working tirelessly to save lives and deliver immediate assistance to victims,” Amarakhail added.
The quake, which hit several northern districts, also caused significant property damage. Local authorities have begun assessing the scale of the destruction and have launched relief operations to support displaced families.
The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-i-Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000.
The Afghan Taliban defence ministry said parts of Balkh and Samangan provinces were the most affected, resulting in fatalities among a number of citizens.
According to Qari Lutfullah Habibi, head of the Samangan provincial health department, the earthquake struck various parts of the province at around 1 a.m. last night, causing casualties and property damage.
The USGS issued an orange alert in its PAGER system, which is an automated system that produces information on the impact of earthquakes, and indicated that “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread”.
Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response, the system’s alert added, reports Reuters. The earthquake destroyed part of the holy shrine of Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province spokesperson Haji Zaid said, referring to the Blue Mosque.
Videos of rescue efforts being carried out to save people trapped under rubble and images of fallen debris in buildings were shared on the social media platform X. One video showed rescuers pulling what appeared to be dead bodies from rubble.
Thousands died and thousands more were injured after an earthquake and a series of aftershocks hit Afghanistan in August, the Taliban administration said.
Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes as the country is located on two major active faults that have the potential to rupture and cause extensive damage.
In 2015, an earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan, killing several hundred people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another in 2023 killed at least 1,000 people.
