Afghanistan earthquake death toll rises to 20
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan early Monday has risen to 20, with hundreds more injured, local officials confirmed.
The 6.3-magnitude quake hit near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities with a population of around 500,000, at about 1:00 a.m. local time (20:30 GMT), News.Az reports, citing BBC.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake’s depth was 28 kilometers (17 miles) and was categorized under an orange alert level, indicating that significant casualties are likely.
Authorities warned that the number of fatalities could increase as rescue and recovery efforts continue in the affected areas.
Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesperson for the Taliban government health ministry, said that more than 20 people have been killed and more than 320 injured.
Provincial officials earlier told the BBC that casualty tolls were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.
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.
He said they had received "reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province".
"Most of the injuries were caused by people falling from tall buildings," he wrote.
Mazar-e Sharif is home to more than 500,000 people. Many of the city's residents rushed to the streets when the quake struck, as they feared their houses would collapse.
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