At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue. Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday (20:30 GMT on Sunday).
It had a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 28km, according to the US Geological Survey, and was marked at the orange alert level, which indicates significant casualties are likely.
More than 530 people have been injured, according to the Taliban government health ministry. Provincial officials earlier stated that casualties were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province reported many injuries in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif, with most caused by people falling from tall buildings during the quake.
The quake also led to a nationwide power outage as electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, major suppliers of power to Afghanistan, were damaged. Residents rushed to the streets fearing their houses would collapse, highlighting the poor infrastructure that often complicates rescue operations.
The Taliban spokesman in Balkh also shared a video showing debris strewn across the ground at the Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, a site revered by Shia Muslims. This earthquake follows a tragic 6.0 magnitude quake in August which killed over 1,100 people, underscoring Afghanistan's vulnerability to seismic events due to its location atop key fault lines.
