At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue. Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities, at around 01:00 local time on Monday. It had a magnitude of 6.3 and was recorded at a depth of 28km (17 miles), marked at the orange alert level indicating significant casualties are likely. More than 530 people have been reported injured by the Taliban government health ministry.
Provincial officials earlier stated that casualties were likely to rise as rescue operations unfolded. Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, reported that many injuries stemmed from falls during the quake, as residents rushed out of their homes fearing collapse.
The quake led to widespread power outages across Afghanistan, notably affecting Kabul, after essential electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were damaged. Search and rescue operations face challenges due to the country's poor infrastructure, as buildings are not designed to withstand earthquakes.
Several fatalities were also reported in the mountainous province of Samangan. With Afghanistan sitting atop numerous tectonic fault lines, such seismic events are not uncommon, leading to tragedy in densely populated and vulnerable communities. The earthquake follows a catastrophic tremor in August that resulted in over 1,100 deaths.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities, at around 01:00 local time on Monday. It had a magnitude of 6.3 and was recorded at a depth of 28km (17 miles), marked at the orange alert level indicating significant casualties are likely. More than 530 people have been reported injured by the Taliban government health ministry.
Provincial officials earlier stated that casualties were likely to rise as rescue operations unfolded. Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, reported that many injuries stemmed from falls during the quake, as residents rushed out of their homes fearing collapse.
The quake led to widespread power outages across Afghanistan, notably affecting Kabul, after essential electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were damaged. Search and rescue operations face challenges due to the country's poor infrastructure, as buildings are not designed to withstand earthquakes.
Several fatalities were also reported in the mountainous province of Samangan. With Afghanistan sitting atop numerous tectonic fault lines, such seismic events are not uncommon, leading to tragedy in densely populated and vulnerable communities. The earthquake follows a catastrophic tremor in August that resulted in over 1,100 deaths.
