At least 20 dead in a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan

At least 20 people were killed and 320 injured early this morning in a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan, according to local authorities, who warn that the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue. The earthquake struck the Mazar-e-Sharif area, one of Afghanistan's largest cities, with a population of about 500,000. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the magnitude of the quake at 6.3 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter at a depth of 28 km. Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, told X that "many people were injured" in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif. "Most of the injuries were from people falling from tall buildings," he said.

The Taliban spokesman in Balkh posted a video on X that appeared to show debris scattered across the floor of the Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, a site revered by Shia Muslims. The religious complex is believed to house the tomb of the first Shia Imam and is currently a place of pilgrimage and religious celebration.

Khalid Zadran, a Taliban police spokesman in Kabul, said police teams were "closely monitoring the situation." Numerous deaths were also reported in Samangan, a mountainous province near Mazar-e-Sharif, according to its spokesman. The earthquake comes after that another earthquake, of magnitude 6.0, shook the eastern mountainous region of Afghanistan at the end of August, causing more than a thousand deaths. That earthquake was especially deadly because rural houses in the area are typically made of mud and wood. Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes due to its location, situated on several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.