Powerful earthquake kills at least 20 people and injures hundreds in northern Afghanistan

"The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was located 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm, and that it struck at 12:59 a.m. at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles). Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, said 534 injured people and 20 bodies had been brought to hospitals in Balkh and Samangan provinces. Rescuers were on the scene and the figures were changing, he added."

"In the nearby province of Badakhshan, the quake partially or completely destroyed 800 houses in one village in the Shahr-e-Bozorg district, said Ihsanullah Kamgar, spokesperson for the provincial police headquarters. But with a lack of internet in the remote area, there were still no accurate casualty figures, he added. Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan's disaster management agency, said most of the injured suffered minor wounds and were discharged after treatment."

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, with an epicenter 22 kilometers west-southwest of Khulm at a depth of 28 kilometers, occurring at 12:59 a.m. At least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured, with 534 injured people and 20 bodies brought to hospitals in Balkh and Samangan provinces; figures remained fluid. About 800 houses were partially or completely destroyed in one Badakhshan village. Parts of Mazar's historic Blue Mosque lost bricks but remained standing. Rescue and emergency teams reached damaged areas to transport injured and assist affected communities.

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