Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan – November 3, 2025
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked northern Afghanistan early Monday, claiming at least 20 lives and injuring more than 300 people, according to the latest updates from Afghan health officials and international reports. Rescue operations continue amid fears that the toll could climb higher as teams dig through rubble in remote villages and urban areas.
The quake struck at approximately 1:00 a.m. local time (20:30 GMT Sunday) near Mazar-e-Sharif, the bustling capital of Balkh province and home to around 523,000 residents. Centered about 22 km (14 miles) west-southwest of the nearby town of Khulm at a shallow depth of 28 km (17 miles), the tremor was felt across a wide region, including parts of neighboring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and even as far as Kabul. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issued an orange alert, signaling likely significant casualties and potentially widespread damage due to the quake's intensity and the region's vulnerable mud-brick housing.
Escalating Casualty Figures and Rescue Efforts
Initial reports from local authorities cited lower numbers, with at least seven deaths and 150 injuries confirmed in Samangan province by mid-morning. However, by afternoon, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health revised the figures upward, reporting 20 fatalities and over 320 wounded, many transferred to overwhelmed hospitals in Mazar-e-Sharif and Aybak. A spokesman for the health ministry, Sharafat Zaman, noted that about 20 injured individuals were being treated at the regional hospital, some with severe head wounds and limb injuries from collapsing structures.
The hardest-hit areas include Balkh and Samangan provinces, where falling boulders blocked a key highway linking Kabul to Mazar-e-Sharif—though it has since reopened. In rural districts like Sholgara, Hazrati Sultan, and Tashqurghan, rescuers and local volunteers are searching for survivors under debris, with reports of collapsed homes and agricultural workers killed by rockslides. One farmer, Nakarulden, recounted to reporters how a boulder crushed his vehicle, killing three colleagues en route from rice fields. The Afghan Red Crescent Society has deployed teams, and hospitals have been placed on high alert, with medical supplies airlifted from Kabul.
Taliban officials, including Balkh province spokesman Haji Zaid, described the scene as chaotic, with many residents fleeing into the streets in the dead of night fearing further collapses. "Many people are injured," Zaid posted on social media, sharing footage of scattered debris.
Damage to Iconic Blue Mosque and Broader Impacts
The earthquake inflicted visible scars on Mazar-e-Sharif's crown jewel: the 15th-century Blue Mosque, a UNESCO-recognized site revered as the burial place of Hazrat Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Social media videos, geolocated by CNN and AFP journalists, show rubble strewn across the mosque's courtyard, with chunks of ornate tilework and parts of a minaret broken off and toppled to the ground. The shrine, known for its vibrant blue-tiled domes and a major pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims, sustained partial structural damage, though no casualties were reported there.
Tremors rippled through densely populated neighborhoods, cracking walls and shattering windows in the city. One resident, Rahima, a 50-year-old former teacher, told CNN her family "woke up terrified," with children screaming as they rushed downstairs. "I had never experienced such a strong earthquake in my life," she said, noting damage to her home's plaster and glass.
A State on the Fault Line
Afghanistan's location at the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates makes it one of the world's most seismically active regions. This disaster follows a devastating 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan on August 31, 2025, which killed over 2,200 people and injured thousands more. The Taliban administration, already strained by economic collapse, reduced foreign aid, and border tensions with Pakistan—including recent cross-border strikes—faces yet another test of its crisis response capabilities.
The USGS warns of potential aftershocks, advising residents to avoid damaged buildings and sleep outdoors if possible. International aid groups, including the World Jewish Relief and Afghan Red Crescent, have expressed solidarity and are mobilizing support. As of late Monday, no official international assistance requests have been confirmed, but the United Nations and NGOs are monitoring the situation closely.
Updates are expected as rescue teams reach more isolated areas. For those wishing to help, donations can be directed to verified relief organizations like the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
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