A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 has shaken northern Afghanistan, hitting close to Mazar-e Sharif, one of the country’s major cities, around 20:30 GMT on Monday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) and issued a warning of potentially severe disaster and significant casualties.
As of early reports, local authorities have not confirmed any casualties, but initial statements from the Taliban spokesperson in Balkh province, where Mazar-e Sharif is the capital, indicated minor injuries and superficial damage across the province. The spokesperson noted that most injuries were due to people falling from buildings during the tremors.
Mazar-e Sharif, a city with over 500,000 residents, saw many people rush into the streets in fear of their homes collapsing. This seismic event follows a devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan’s eastern mountains in late August, which resulted in over 1,000 fatalities. Afghanistan’s location on active fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet makes it highly susceptible to earthquakes.