A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday morning (local time), shaking several provinces and prompting fears of widespread destruction.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the town of Khulm. Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, is one of the most densely populated cities in the region.
At least seven people were killed in the earthquake and 150 have been injured.
“Several provinces of the country were once again shaken by a strong earthquake at around 1 a.m.,” the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement shared with CNN.
The tremor was felt across neighboring countries, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, according to USGS.
The USGS PAGER system issued an orange alert, warning: “Significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.”
The region has suffered multiple deadly quakes in recent years. In August, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 800 people and injured over 2,800 in eastern Afghanistan. In October 2023, another 6.3-magnitude quake in the west claimed more than 2,000 lives.