An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan

A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn, killing at least 20 people and injuring 260 others, Afghan health officials said Monday.

Sharafat Zaman, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said at least 20 people were killed and 260 others were injured in the quake. Yousef Hammad, spokesman for the Afghan Disaster Management Agency, added that most of the injured suffered minor injuries and were discharged from the hospital after receiving initial treatment.

The earthquake occurred around midnight Monday local time, the US Geological Survey said.

The US Geological Survey said that the epicenter of the earthquake was located 22 kilometers west-southwest of Kholm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 28 kilometers.

The earthquake was felt by residents of the capital, Kabul, and several other provinces in Afghanistan.

Rescue and emergency teams were deployed

According to the Ministry of Defense in Kabul, emergency rescue and relief teams have reached the most affected areas in Balkh and Samangan provinces, where the earthquake occurred, and have now begun work.

In Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of the northern Balkh province, footage posted on social media showed that the earthquake caused some damage to the historic Blue Mosque.

Dating back centuries, the mosque is one of Afghanistan's most revered religious monuments and a major gathering place during religious and cultural festivals.

Local officials said several pieces of brick fell from the walls, but the mosque remained intact.

Devastating earthquakes have rocked Afghanistan in recent years, especially in isolated areas, straining the country's meager resources and emergency rescue services.

Buildings in the country tend to be low-rise construction, mostly concrete and brick, with houses in rural and remote areas made of mudbrick and wood and poorly constructed.

About 2,200 people were killed on August 31 when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the country near the Pakistani border.

In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake with strong aftershocks killed at least 4,000 people, according to the Taliban administration.

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