A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan before dawn on Monday, killing 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, 25 critically, a disaster management official said. Health officials say the numbers could rise.
The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the earthquake was located 22km (14 miles) southwest of the town of Khulm, and that it struck at a depth of 28km (17 miles).
In August, an earthquake in Eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people.
Poor countries often face difficulties in responding to natural disasters, especially in remote regions. The buildings are very low constructions, mostly concrete and brick, with homes in rural areas and places made from mud bricks and wood, which are not well built.
Monday’s earthquake was also felt in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Northern Balkh Province, Afghan officials, where footage of the historic blue mosque. Many bricks fell from the walls but the mosque remained intact. The centuries-old site, one of Afghanistan’s most revered landmarks is a prime gathering place during Islamic and Cultural Festivals.
The representative spokesman of the National Disaster Management Authority, Qari Taj Mohammad Hemat, said that Laka, the people injured and 643 people died, and the other people died, and the other people died, and the other people died, and the other people died, and the other people injured and 643 died, 25 in critical condition.
Earlier, Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said that the dead and more than 500 of the injured were taken to hospitals in Balkh and Samangan Provinces. Rescuers are on the scene and the numbers are changing, he added.
In the neighboring province of Badakhshan, the earthquake partially or completely destroyed 800 houses in a village in Shahsanullah Kamgar, spokesman for the Provincial Police Headquarters. But with a lack of Internet in the remote area, there are no accurate casualty figures, he added.
Yoongaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s management agency in Afghanistan, said most of the wounded were wounded and discharged after treatment.
In Khulbm, near the center, people dug through fallen mud brick houses with shovels and picked through the trash to salvage what they could.
“It was one night in the morning, and there was a strong earthquake. When I came out, the houses were destroyed and the air was polluted,” said Ahmad Zia, a local resident. “We are busy rescuing the injured. We have removed the bodies of two people from the garbage dump, and their funerals will be held today.”
Another resident, Abdul Mubin, said he was sleeping in his shop when the earthquake hit. “I saw that everything was destroyed. People suffered a lot of financial losses,” he said. “Many people’s houses were destroyed and their household possessions were under the trash.”
In the Afghan capital, Kabul, the defense ministry announced that the rescue and emergency team reached the earthquake areas of Balkh and Samangan, which suffered the most damage. Teams are carrying the injured and helping others, it said.
The head of the Taliban Government’s Government Coviles, Zabihullah Mujahid, posted the earthquake caused casualties and financial loss. He said government organizations are working to get the help needed.
The earthquake was also felt in Kabul and many other provinces. The defense ministry said a rockslide blocked a main mountain highway linking Kabul with Mazar-i-Sharif, but the road was later reopened. It is said that some people who were injured and stuck on the highway were taken to the hospital.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of life. He offered thanks to the families of the victims, prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, and said that Pakistan stands with the people of Afghanistan.
The two countries engaged in peace talks amid tension after a deadly explosion in Afghanistan and Pakistan killed two soldiers. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government of members of the Pakistan Taliban and failed cross-border attacks. Afghan officials rejected the allegations, saying they were seeking good relations. Another round of peace talks is scheduled for this week in Istanbul, Turkey.
The UN in Afghanistan told X that its teams are on the ground assessing needs and delivering urgent aid. “We stand with the affected communities and will provide the necessary support,” the post said.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Eastern Afghanistan on August 31 near the border with Pakistan, killing more than 2,200 people. On 7 October 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake followed by powerful aftershocks left at least 4,000 people dead, according to the Taliban government.