6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Afghanistan, killing seven
A 6.3-magnitude quake near Mazar-e Sharif on Monday left at least seven dead and 150 injured, with tremors damaging parts of the city’s historic Blue Mosque.
- A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-e Sharif.
- The quake resulted in at least seven deaths and approximately 150 injuries, according to provincial officials.
- The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers and issued an orange alert for potentially significant casualties.
- Tremors from the earthquake caused damage to parts of the historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e Sharif.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan early on Monday (November 3), killing at least seven people and injuring about 150, according to provincial officials.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometres (17.4 miles) close to the city of Mazar-e Sharif, home to around 523,000 people.
Samim Joyanda, spokesperson for the health department in Samangan province — a mountainous northern region near Mazar-e Sharif — told Reuters that 150 injured victims and seven bodies had been brought to local health centres.
The USGS issued an orange alert via its PAGER system, which automatically assesses earthquake impacts, warning of the potential for significant casualties and widespread damage. It added that events triggering alerts at this level often require regional or national emergency responses.
Haji Zaid, spokesperson for Balkh province, said parts of a revered shrine in Mazar-e Sharif — the Blue Mosque — had been damaged by the tremors.
Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said detailed casualty and damage assessments would be released later, while Reuters was unable to independently verify the extent of destruction.
Videos circulating on social media platform X showed rescue workers pulling victims from rubble and debris-strewn streets. One clip appeared to show emergency crews retrieving a body from collapsed buildings.
Earlier this year, thousands were killed and injured in a series of quakes and aftershocks across Afghanistan. The country remains highly vulnerable to seismic activity as it lies on two major fault lines capable of triggering destructive earthquakes.
In 2015, a quake in northeastern Afghanistan killed hundreds across the country and neighbouring northern Pakistan, while in 2023 another powerful tremor claimed at least 1,000 lives.
