At Least Seven Dead, 150 Injured as 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

 

Kabul, Afghanistan (November 3, 2025) — A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 150 others, according to local health officials. The tremor, which hit shortly before 1 a.m. local time, sent residents fleeing into the streets in panic as buildings shook across several provinces.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake’s epicentre was located 22 kilometres west-southwest of Khulm, a district roughly 50 kilometres from Mazar-e-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest and most densely populated cities. The quake struck at a depth of 28 kilometres, strong enough to be felt across northern and central Afghanistan and even parts of neighbouring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

“Emergency response teams have been dispatched to affected areas,” a spokesperson for the Balkh provincial health directorate told local media. “Hospitals are receiving a growing number of injured people, most suffering from fractures and head injuries caused by falling debris.”

Widespread Panic and Damage

Witnesses in Mazar-e-Sharif described scenes of chaos as families rushed out of their homes in the middle of the night. “It felt like the ground was moving beneath us,” said Ahmad Zahir, a resident of the city’s Chahar Bolak district. “Walls cracked, and people were shouting prayers in the dark.”

While initial reports suggest moderate