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A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 140 others, according to local and international reports.
The quake’s epicenter was in Samangan province in northern Afghanistan, the country’s National Disaster Management Authority said.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake near Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province, at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) around 12:59 a.m. local time.
Samim Joyanda, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health in Samangan, told Reuters that “a total of 150 people injured and seven martyred have been reported and transferred to health centers as of this morning.”
Afghan authorities reported that the earthquake also damaged parts of the Blue Mosque, a historic shrine in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Many residents fled their homes in panic during the tremor, local media reported.
Afghanistan’s disaster management agency said assessments on damage and casualties are ongoing. The USGS issued an orange alert, indicating that significant casualties are likely and the disaster could be widespread.
The country has faced several deadly earthquakes in recent years. A 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan.
Earlier quakes in Herat in 2023 and Nangarhar in 2022 also caused hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction.
Afghanistan, located along the Hindu Kush mountain range, frequently experiences earthquakes due to its position near the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
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