Earthquake in Northern Afghanistan: At Least 20 Dead and More Than 360 Injured

@PaikAftab/x

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 360 others injured after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Khulm district in Balkh province on last night (November 3).

Most of the casualties have been reported from Balkh and Samangan provinces.

The quake occurred at around 12:59 a.m. at a depth of 35 kilometres and was also felt in Kabul, Baghlan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, and Kunduz provinces.

According to local sources, dozens of homes were destroyed in Khulm and Shulgara districts of Balkh province, as well as in Hazrat Sultan district and Aybak city of Samangan province. Around 800 houses were also reported damaged or destroyed in Chugani village of Shahr-e Buzurg district in Badakhshan province.

Taliban officials in Balkh said that six people were killed in Khulm district and two children died in Shulgara district. In Samangan province, local officials reported more than ten deaths and around 260 injuries.

UNAMA and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have stated that emergency response teams have been deployed to assess the damage and deliver immediate humanitarian assistance to the affected areas.