At Least Nine Killed as 6.3-Magnitude Quake Hits Northern Afghanistan

At Least Nine Killed as 6.3-Magnitude Quake Hits Northern Afghanistan

A strong earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 260 others, authorities confirmed on Monday. The latest disaster comes just months after another powerful quake devastated parts of the country.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit at a depth of 28 kilometres, with its epicentre near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

In Balkh province, where Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital, four people were killed and 120 others injured, said Kamal Khan Zadran, a provincial health department spokesman. The local hospital is treating the injured.

In neighbouring Samangan province, five people were killed and 143 others wounded, according to Mohammadullah Hamad, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority. “Most of the injured have returned home after receiving treatment,” he said.

The tremor sent residents of Mazar-i-Sharif rushing into the streets in fear as buildings shook. Shaking was also felt in Kabul, about 420 kilometres to the south.

Disaster response in Afghanistan is often hindered by poor infrastructure and communication networks, leaving remote mountain communities isolated for hours or even days after major quakes.

This latest quake adds to a string of devastating natural disasters the country has faced since the Taliban took power in 2021. In August, a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people, while previous tremors in Herat in 2023 and Nangarhar in 2022 claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed thousands of homes.

Afghanistan continues to grapple with a deep humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger, prolonged drought, banking restrictions, and the forced return of millions of refugees from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.

Earthquakes are common in the region, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet. Many homes, especially in rural areas ravaged by decades of conflict, are poorly built and unable to withstand strong tremors.