6.3 earthquake triggers panic in Afghanistan’s Mazar-e-Sharif, four dead

At least four people were killed after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Monday, officials said.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicentre was located west-southwest of the Khulm region in Balkh province.

Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that four people had died and several others were injured, particularly in the Sholgara district. He said many of the injuries occurred when people fell from buildings during the tremor.

Zaid also shared a video showing debris scattered around the Blue Mosque, a prominent landmark in Mazar-e-Sharif.

The extent of the damage to the structure remains unclear.

Khalid Zadran, a Taliban police spokesman in Kabul, said on X that police teams were “closely monitoring the situation.”

Monday’s quake comes just months after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan in August, killing more than 1,000 people.

Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes as it lies along several active fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.