Fears of several casualties after a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred near one of the largest cities in northern Afghanistan.

Initial reports indicate that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the town of Kholm in the early hours of Monday morning local time. Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh Province, is one of the most populous cities in northern Afghanistan.

USGS models estimate that shaking could lead to hundreds of deaths.

“A strong earthquake shook several provinces in the country again at around 1 a.m. (3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday),” Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement shared with CNN.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was also felt by residents of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, three countries bordering northern Afghanistan.

The extent of the damage caused by the earthquake is not yet clear.

An orange alert was issued by the USGS PAGER system, which predicts economic and human losses after earthquakes.

“It is likely that there will be significant human casualties and the disaster will likely be widespread. Past events with this level of preparedness have required a response at the regional or national level,” she added.

A Mazar-i-Sharif resident told CNN that her family “woke up terrified” after the quake, saying her children ran “down the stairs screaming” when the quake struck.

Rahima, a former teacher, said: “I have never witnessed such a strong earthquake in my life before,” adding that the quake shattered some of her windows and damaged the plaster on some of the walls of her house.

“I'm happy that my house is made of concrete in the city,” she told CNN. “I don’t know if the mud houses survived this earthquake that occurred on the outskirts of the city.”

Last August, at least 800 people were killed and more than 2,800 others injured after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage along a mountainous region of provinces in eastern Afghanistan.

The area was hit by at least five aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.2 in the hours after the initial quake, according to the US Geological Survey.

In October 2023, another 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in western Afghanistan, killing more than 2,000 people.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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