'Things falling, people running': Powerful earthquake rattles Afghanistan - Watch

A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. The quake claimed the lives of at least 20 and injured more than 300, with authorities warning that the toll could rise.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) near the city, which is home to about 523,000 people.


Videos circulating on social media showed the widespread destruction caused by the quake, with footage capturing residents rushing out of their homes as buildings shook and partially collapsed.


The earthquake also damaged parts of the holy shrine in Mazar-i-Sharif, according to Balkh province spokesperson Haji Zaid, as reported by Reuters.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) issued an orange alert through its PAGER system, which provides automated assessments of earthquake impacts.

It warned that “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread.” The alert noted that past earthquakes of similar intensity have typically required regional or national-level responses.

Why is Afghanistan so prone to earthquakes?
Eastern and northeastern Afghanistan, particularly areas bordering Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, are highly prone to earthquakes.

Afghanistan lies on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, where it meets the Indian plate and is also affected by the Arabian plate to the south.

This makes it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions. Most quakes occur due to the Indian plate pushing northward against the Eurasian plate.

Heavily populated Kabul suffers the highest average earthquake damage in Afghanistan, estimated at about $17 million annually, according to a study cited by Reuters.

Quakes are especially dangerous in the country’s mountainous regions, where they often trigger landslides that worsen destruction and casualties.

Since 1900, Afghanistan has recorded nearly 100 “damaging” earthquakes. One of the strongest, a 7.5-magnitude quake in 2015, killed 399 people across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

In August, another powerful earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks struck southeastern Afghanistan, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring thousands.