A powerful earthquake was seen striking northern Afghanistan just hours after midnight.
The epicenter of the tragedy was outlined to be the country’s Balkh province, and the magnitude was recorded as 6.3, near the town of Khulm. The quake’s hypocenter was said to be nearly 28km deep.
As per health authorities in Afghanistan, at least 20 people were killed and around 320 people were injured in the initial results shared with the press. Fears that the numbers could swiftly increase have also been raised, as these are initial reports.
The figures are preliminary, the health minister shared as rescue and relief efforts were currently underway. Serious damage was reported so far, including the historic Blue Mosque which suffered from masonary damage and collapsed tile fragments.
The quake also disrupted key infrastructure such as power lines getting cut and that left nearly nine provinces without any form of electricity. There was also a mountain landslide that briefly blocked a huge highway that linked Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The latest incident comes amid a backdrop of seismic activity. The nation lies alongside active fault lines in the Hindu Kush region and has recently suffered other major earthquakes.