A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight near the big city ofMazar-i-Sharif.
Following the natural calamity, around 20 casualties have been reported and hundreds remained injured.
The local authorities reported that the death toll is likely to rise given the severity of the earthquake.
Around 1:00 am (local) time on Monday, November 3, 2025 (20:30 GMT Sunday), the earthquake hit the city, spreading panic among the residents.
The quake caused several infrastructural damages including the historic Blue Mosque, a revered 15th century site.
The health ministry confirmed that around more than 530 people were injured. As per the US Geological Survey (USGS), the depth of the quake is recorded at 28 km (17 miles) and an “orange alert” has been issued.
This indicates that the disaster was potentially widespread and can cause further casualties.
Deaths are mostly reported in two provinces including Balkh and Mamangan.
As reported by a Taliban government spokesperson, Haji Zaid, “many people are injured” in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif.
He noted that many injuries were caused by "people falling from tall buildings" as they tried to escape.
The earthquake also led to a power outage in several provinces including capital, Kabul, as the electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were damaged.
The Taliban's defense ministry said military rescue and emergency teams had reached the most affected areas and begun operations to rescue people trapped under rubble and transport the injured.
In recent years, Afghanistan has had a series of deadly earthquakes. This is majorly due to the geographical location of the confluence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates that make it highly seismically active.