KABUL: A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan on Monday.

The Taliban government’s health ministry spokesperson, Sharafat Zaman Amar, confirmed that more than 20 people have died and over 320 are injured in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) issued an ‘Orange Alert’ for the 28 km deep tremor, warning of likely significant casualties.

Injuries in areas like the Sholgara district were largely due to residents falling from tall buildings as they fled.

The quake damaged the Blue Mosque and terrified the 500,000 residents of Mazar-e-Sharif, many of whom rushed into the streets.

This incident underscores Afghanistan’s high vulnerability to seismic events due to its location on major fault lines and the prevalence of fragile mud-and-timber housing, echoing a deadly quake that killed over 1,000 people in late August.

Kabul police teams are monitoring the situation as the death toll is expected to rise.