Afghanistan: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake kills at least twenty people

Monday 03 November 2025 - 07:05

By: Sahili Aya

Afghanistan: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake kills at least twenty people

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight from Sunday to Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported, two months after a deadly quake hit the country’s east.

The tremor occurred in Kholm, near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh Province, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Shaking was felt as far as Kabul, according to AFP correspondents.

According to Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Health, “around 320 compatriots were injured and more than 20 killed” in the provinces of Samangan and Balkh, noting that this is a provisional toll. “Most of the injured have returned home after receiving treatment,” he added.

In Mazar-e-Sharif, the city’s famous Blue Mosque, a 15th-century architectural jewel, sustained damage, with stones falling from its minaret and façade.

Afghanistan lies in a highly seismic zone, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, at the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The country has suffered numerous deadly earthquakes, including the August 2025 quake that killed more than 2,200 people in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar.