KABUL: A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds, and damaging the city’s historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e Sharif, a city of around 523,000 people famous for its shrines and historic sites. Mohammad Rahim, a survivor in Tashqurghan district close to the quake’s epicentre, said the earth shook violently for around 15 seconds.
At least 20 people were killed and 643 were injured, 25 of them seriously, according to preliminary figures from the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority. “Our rescue and health teams have arrived in the area, and all nearby hospitals have been put on standby by the leadership to treat the injured,” Health Ministry spokesperson Sharfat Zaman said. Footage released by the Afghan Ministry of Defence showed military rescue teams digging through rubble and pulling the body of a young girl from the dirt. — Reuters
