At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country’s largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday, (20:30 GMT on Sunday).
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province wrote earlier on X that “many people are injured” in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e- Sharif.
Many of Mazar-e Sharif’s residents rushed to the streets when the quake struck, as they feared their houses would collapse, AFP news agency reported.
Khalid Zadran, a Taliban spokesman for the police in Kabul, wrote on X that police are “closely monitoring the situation”.
An earthquake in northern Afghanistan has killed at least 20 people, according to local authorities, and the number is predicted to increase as rescue operations proceed.
Officials in the area told the BBC that hundreds more had been hurt.
Around 1:00 local time on Monday, 20:30 GMT on Sunday, the earthquake occurred close to Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the biggest cities in the nation with a population of roughly 500,000.
According to the US Geological Survey, it was 28 kilometers (17 miles) deep and had a magnitude of 6.3. It was also classified as an orange alert, meaning “significant casualties” are likely.
“Many people are injured” in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e- Sharif, according to a previous post on X by Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province.
He claimed that “reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province” had been sent to them.
He noted that “people falling from tall buildings were responsible for the majority of the injuries.”.
Fearing that their homes would collapse, many Mazar-e Sharif residents fled to the streets as soon as the earthquake occurred, according to the AFP news agency.
Due to damaged power lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, two of Afghanistan’s main power suppliers, the earthquake caused a power outage throughout the nation, including in Kabul, the capital.
A video that appeared to show debris scattered across the ground at the Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, which is revered by Shia Muslims, was also posted on X by the Taliban spokesman in Balkh.
The first Shia Imam, the son-in-law and cousin of Prophet Muhammad, is thought to have been buried in the mosque, which was constructed in the fifteenth century. Pilgrims now congregate there to pray and commemorate holy days.
Taliban police spokesperson Khalid Zadran posted on X that police are “closely monitoring the situation.”.
According to its spokesperson, numerous deaths were also reported in Samangan, a mountainous province close to Mazar-e-Sharif.
Monday’s earthquake follows a 6point 0 magnitude one that killed over 1,100 people in late August in Afghanistan’s mountainous eastern region.
Given that most rural homes in the area were constructed of wood and mud, that earthquake was particularly lethal. When the houses collapsed during the earthquake, the residents were trapped.
Because it is situated on top of several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Rescue efforts after tragedies like this have frequently been impeded by inadequate infrastructure and communication networks. For instance, buildings there are not earthquake-resistant.
