RNS: Panic gripped northern Afghanistan after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake jolted the city of Mazar-e-Sharif early Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead and more than 150 injured, officials said.
The quake struck at dawn, sending residents of the city — home to over half a million people — rushing out of their homes in fear of collapsing buildings. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre was located 22 kilometres west-southwest of Khulm in Balkh province, at a depth of 28 kilometres.
CCTV footage shows the moment a strong M6.3 earthquake struck Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, a short while ago. pic.twitter.com/NX0o04Ggi5
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) November 2, 2025
One of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the 15th-century Blue Mosque — famed for its striking turquoise tiles and intricate architecture — suffered visible damage. Fragments of one of its minarets were seen scattered across the mosque’s courtyard, eyewitness videos showed.
د نن شپې د زلزلې له امله، د سمنګان ولایت د خُلم ولسوالۍ او د تنګي تاشقرغان په سیمو کې د مرګژوبلې تر څنګ، د مزارشریف ښار د روضې مبارکې زیارت هم زیانمن شوی، او د هغې د ښکلا خښتې او زینتي ټایلونه راپرېوتي دي. pic.twitter.com/hQjHIVLdVm
— Wesal TV – وصال ټلوېزیون (@TheWesalTV) November 3, 2025
Taliban spokesman Haji Zaid confirmed the casualties on X (formerly Twitter), saying most of the injuries occurred in Sholgara district when people fell while trying to flee buildings. He also posted footage showing debris around the Blue Mosque.
Authorities in Kabul said emergency and police teams were closely monitoring the situation and assessing damage across the northern provinces.
The tremor is the latest in a series of deadly quakes to strike Afghanistan this year. In August, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake killed over 1,000 people in the country’s eastern provinces.
Afghanistan sits on multiple active fault lines along the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.
