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Afghan earthquake kills 20, injures over 500 in northern region

A powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500 others, the government said on Monday. The 6.3-magnitude quake hit near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of the country’s largest urban centres. According to the US Geological Survey, the tremor occurred at a depth of 28 kilometres, with the epicentre located near Mazar-i-Sharif in Balkh province. Health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said, “Based on the information we have so far, 534 people have been injured and more than 20 fatalities have been taken to hospitals in Samangan and Balkh provinces.” In Mazar-i-Sharif, residents fled their homes in panic as buildings shook. The city’s historic Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark, suffered visible damage, with parts of a minaret collapsing onto the grounds. Reports from Kabul, around 420 kilometres to the south, also confirmed that […]

Abdulmumini Auwal SA November 3, 2025