At least 20 people died and scores injured as a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, just months after another deadly tremor left the country reeling as it contends with a series of humanitarian crises. The latest quake hit in the early hours of the morning at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) with the epicentre near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the USGS.

“So far, 12 people have been reported dead and 143 injured in Samangan, most of whom were discharged and sent home after receiving medical treatment,” the the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said. “There have also been reports of property damage in the affected areas.” The earthquake caused visible damage to the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s architectural treasures and a major point of pilgrimage. Social media footage geolocated by CNN shows debris scattered on the ground outside the mosque.

Poor communication networks and infrastructure have in the past hampered disaster response in the mountainous country, preventing authorities from reaching far-flung villages to assess the extent of damage for hours or even days. The quake sent residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan's largest northern cities, running into the streets due to fears their homes would collapse, an AFP correspondent observed, and shaking was felt around 420 kilometres (260 miles) south by correspondents in the capital Kabul.

The earthquake was also felt in regions of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, three countries that border northern Afghanistan, USGS reported. One resident of Mazar-i-Sharif told CNN that her family “woke up terrified” after the quake struck, saying that her children ran “down the stairs screaming” when it occurred. “I had never experienced such a strong earthquake in my life,” Rahima, a former school teacher, said, adding that it broke some of her windows and damaged the plaster on some of her walls.

“I am happy that my house is made of concrete in the city,” she told. “I don’t know if houses made of mud have survived this earthquake in the outskirts of the city.” It is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government, which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over the country in 2021 even as the foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country’s economy dramatically dropped. In August, a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in the country’s east wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people.

Large tremors in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes. The United Nations and aid agencies have warned hunger is rising in the Afghan population and the isolated country is suffering from a humanitarian crisis compounded by drought, economic restrictions on the banking sector, and the pushback of millions of Afghan citizens from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan. Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)