A powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500 others, according to Afghan authorities. The 6.3-magnitude tremor — which hit near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif — has left widespread devastation, months after a similar disaster rocked the nation.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles), with tremors felt as far away as Kabul, about 420 kilometres to the south.
Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Health Ministry, confirmed the initial toll on Monday.
“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,” he said.
Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of the country’s largest northern cities, fled their homes in panic as buildings shook. The city’s iconic Blue Mosque, a 15th-century architectural masterpiece and one of Afghanistan’s major tourist landmarks, suffered visible damage. Fragments from one of its minarets were seen scattered across the mosque’s grounds.
The Taliban government’s deputy spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, described the incident as a national tragedy.
“Numerous homes have been destroyed, and significant material losses have been incurred,” Fitrat wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kholm has been cleared and reopened after emergency rescue operations were conducted overnight.
Poor infrastructure and limited communication networks in Afghanistan have historically hindered emergency response efforts, often delaying aid delivery to remote areas for days.
Recurring Natural Disasters
This latest quake adds to a series of devastating natural disasters that have hit Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The country has suffered three major earthquakes within the past two years.
In August, a 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed several mountainside villages. The World Bank estimated that the damage from that quake amounted to $183 million.
Afghanistan’s mountainous geography — positioned at the collision point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates — makes it one of the most earthquake-prone regions in Asia. Previous large tremors in Herat (2023) and Nangarhar (2022) caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of home collapses.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The latest disaster compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Decades of conflict, coupled with international sanctions and reduced foreign aid, have crippled the economy. Millions of Afghans are also facing food insecurity amid prolonged drought conditions.
The United Nations and global relief agencies have repeatedly warned of rising hunger and worsening living conditions, as the country continues to grapple with economic isolation and the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.
