Afghanistan shaken by strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake, 7 dead, 150 injured

Afghanistan was shaken by a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Monday, with the epicenter in Mazar-i-Sharif, the northern provincial capital of Balkh. So far, at least seven people have died and around 150 others are injured.

The quake struck at a depth of 28 km (17 miles) at 12:59 am, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The number of casualties is feared to rise, as the Afghan interim government has yet to release full details of the death toll and the damage caused.

The USGS PAGER system issued an orange alert, indicating that the earthquake could have a serious impact and may require a national-level response.

Mazar-i-Sharif, home to approximately 523,000 people, saw residents fleeing their homes in fear of further damage and loss of life. The city’s famous Shrine of Hazrat Ali also suffered damage.

This is the country’s second-deadliest recent natural disaster, after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in August that killed around 2,200 people.

Afghanistan is situated in a geologically volatile region, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet beneath the Hindu Kush mountain range, making it prone to earthquakes.