Devastating 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan, Leaving 20 Dead

Tue Nov 04 2025 03:12:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan has resulted in at least 20 fatalities and hundreds of injuries, prompting urgent rescue efforts and raising concerns over infrastructure resilience.

A magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit northern Afghanistan near Mazar-e-Sharif, leading to at least 20 confirmed deaths and over 530 injuries. Rescue operations are underway as authorities anticipate the casualty toll may rise. The earthquake occurred at 1 AM local time and has affected power supplies nationwide.

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 reported to the BBC.

The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday (20:30 GMT on Sunday).

It had a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 28 km (17 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, and was marked at the orange alert level, indicating significant casualties are likely.

More than 530 people have been injured, according to the Taliban government health ministry. Provincial officials earlier echoed that casualties were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.

Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, wrote on X that 'many people are injured' in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif. He added that reports indicated minor injuries and superficial damages from several districts throughout the province, with most injuries attributed to people falling from tall buildings.

Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif rushed into the streets during the quake, fearing their homes would collapse, leading to widespread panic and a subsequent power outage across Afghanistan as electricity lines were damaged.

Among the damage reported, Taliban officials shared a video of debris scattered at the revered Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif. The mosque, significant to Shia Muslims, houses the tomb of the first Shia Imam.

The earthquake's timing follows a major quake in late August, which recorded a similar magnitude and resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 people. Afghanistan's geographical position on tectonic fault lines makes it prone to such disasters, which are exacerbated by substandard building structures.