A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 20 people after hitting parts of northern Afghanistan on Monday morning. Local officials report that more than 300 people have been injured in the natural disaster. The epicenter was close to the town of Khulm in the Hindu Kush region, where homes and buildings scattered across rural areas were demolished as rescuers warned the toll could rise as they rushed to reach many of the outlying towns.
Power outages and landslides were reported on some mountain roads leading to villages, increasing difficulties for aid workers heading to the worst-hit areas. The earthquake is believed to have occurred about 17 miles (28 kilometers) underground, with the US Geological Survey recording the magnitude 6.3 quake and issuing a warning saying “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread.”
The rumbling was felt across much of northern Afghanistan early in the morning, with reports of tremors even reaching the capital Kabul.
Images taken at the scene show houses being torn to the ground and people struggling to rescue family and friends trapped in the rubble.
Rescue workers, the Taliban-led Health Ministry and local volunteers were mobilized to clear the rubble and transport the injured to hospitals.
Health Ministry spokesman Sharfat Zaman said: “Our rescue and health teams have arrived in the area and all nearby hospitals have been put on standby by the management to treat the injured.”
Most of the injured suffered only minor injuries, and many have already been discharged, said Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s disaster management agency.
The United Nations is on the ground to provide assistance to many of those affected. The agency reported on X that the disaster occurred just weeks after a separate earthquake killed people in eastern Afghanistan.
They added: “We stand with the affected communities and will provide the necessary support.”
Authorities have also urged residents in affected areas to stay in open spaces for fear of aftershocks.
The earthquake is also believed to have damaged part of the Blue Mosque, a 15th-century holy site believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law.
Afghanistan has suffered a series of devastating earthquakes in recent years as the country straddles two active fault lines.
On August 31, more than 2,200 people died after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, while two years earlier a magnitude 6.3 earthquake and severe aftershocks killed 4,000 people, the Taliban government said.
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