Deadly 6.3-magnitude earthquake hits northern Afghanistan

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Nov 02, 2025 9:43 PM EST | Last Updated: November 3

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck adjacent the bluish Afghan metropolis of Mazar-e Sharif aboriginal connected Monday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city's historical Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the decease toll apt to rise.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake deed astatine a extent of 28 kilometres adjacent Mazar-e Sharif, which has a colonisation of astir 523,000.

Mohammad Rahim, a subsister successful Tashqurghan territory adjacent to the quake's epicentre, said the world shook violently for astir 15 seconds.

"When we yet got outside, determination was truthful overmuch particulate successful the aerial that we couldn't spot anything," helium told Reuters portion lasting successful beforehand of a collapsed building.

His parent and brother, who were some trapped successful the rubble, were yet freed by rescue workers and different locals, helium said.

At slightest 20 radical were killed and 643 were injured, 25 of them seriously, according to preliminary figures from the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.

"Our rescue and wellness teams person arrived successful the area, and each adjacent hospitals person been enactment connected standby by the enactment to dainty the injured," Health Ministry spokesperson Sharfat Zaman said.

An injured pistillate is treated astatine a infirmary aft an earthquake struck aboriginal Monday adjacent Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan. (Atif Aryan/AFP/Getty Images)

Footage released by the Afghan Ministry of Defence showed subject rescue teams digging done rubble and pulling the assemblage of a young miss from the dirt. Reuters was not capable to independently verify the determination and day of the images.

The United Nations ngo successful Afghanistan said successful a station connected X that it was connected the crushed supporting rescue efforts.

"We basal with the affected communities and volition supply indispensable support," the station said.

India, which has been seeking to reset relations with the Taliban aft severing diplomatic ties pursuing their 2021 takeover of Afghanistan, besides pledged support.

"Indian alleviation worldly for the earthquake impacted communities is being handed implicit today. Further supplies of medicines to scope soon," Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said successful a station connected X.

Damage to historical mosque

The earthquake damaged portion of the Blue Mosque, the holiest shrine successful Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh state spokesperson Haji Zaid said.

The mosque is considered 1 of the holiest sites in Afghanistan and is believed to beryllium the burial tract of the relative and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad. The existent operation was built successful the 15th century.

Damage is seen successful the historical Blue Mosque aft a 6.3-magnitude earthquake successful Mazar-e-Sharif connected Monday. (Sirat Noori/The Associated Press)

Footage shared connected societal media and verified by Reuters showed breached masonry and tiles lying successful the courtyard of the mosque, though the main operation remained standing.

The catastrophe is the latest situation for war-torn Afghanistan's Taliban administration, already grappling with crises including an August quake that killed thousands, a crisp driblet successful overseas assistance and wide deportations of Afghan refugees by neighbouring countries.

The quake disrupted powerfulness crossed the country, including to the superior of Kabul, nationalist powerfulness supplier Da Afghanistan Breshna Company said successful a statement.

People excavation done rubble adjacent a spot damaged by an earthquake successful Tashqurghan district, Samangan province, Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Aid radical Save the Children said the latest earthquake added to the humanitarian load connected the country, arriving conscionable earlier winter, erstwhile temperatures tin driblet beneath freezing.

"As temperatures fall, thousands of children successful the earthquake-devastated eastbound of the state are facing the wintertime with lone tents for extortion from the rainfall and snow," said Samira Sayed Rahman, a programme improvement and advocacy manager successful the country.

"Now, families successful the northbound are besides experiencing fearfulness and uncertainty aft this latest almighty quake."

Afghanistan is peculiarly susceptible to quakes as it lies connected 2 progressive faults that person the imaginable to rupture and origin extended damage.

More than 2,200 radical were killed and thousands much injured aft a quake and beardown aftershocks successful the southeast of the war-shattered Islamic state astatine the extremity of August.

Past events with this alert level person required a determination oregon nationalist level response, the system's alert added.