Afghanistan Quake Update: 20 Dead and Over 320 Injured Across Provinces
6.3-magnitude tremor devastates north, historic mosque damaged.
A devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, claiming at least 20 lives and injuring approximately 320 individuals across Balkh and Samangan provinces, according to preliminary reports from the health ministry. Spokesman Sharafat Zaman confirmed the toll in a video statement, noting that most casualties occurred in remote areas where fragile infrastructure amplified the destruction's impact.
The National Disaster Management Authority reported five deaths and 143 injuries in Samangan alone, with many victims discharged after initial treatment, though comprehensive assessments remain ongoing due to disrupted communication networks. The historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif suffered significant structural damage, with fragments of its iconic minarets scattered across the grounds, endangering a key cultural landmark.
Residents in Mazar-i-Sharif fled into streets amid violent shaking, while tremors were felt as far as Kabul, 420 kilometres south, highlighting the quake's extensive reach along the seismically active Hindu Kush range. Poorly constructed homes in war-ravaged rural regions collapsed readily, exacerbating casualties in villages isolated by mountainous terrain and inadequate road access.
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This event marks the latest in a series of catastrophic quakes under Taliban governance since 2021, following deadly tremors in Herat, Nangarhar, and eastern provinces that collectively killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands. Compounded by drought, economic sanctions, and mass deportations from neighboring countries, Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis deepens with each disaster.
Aid agencies warn of rising malnutrition amid restricted international funding, as the government struggles to deliver relief to cut-off communities where travel to affected sites can take days. The earthquake underscores Afghanistan's vulnerability at the convergence of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, where substandard building practices continue to magnify seismic risks.
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