Nov. 3 (UPI) — A strong earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring hundreds more, though the death toll is expected to rise.
The temblor was registered by the U.S. Geological Survey as a magnitude-6.3 earthquake, striking at 12:59 a.m. AFT about 13.6 miles west-southwest of Khulm in Samangan Province, located in northern Afghanistan.
It struck at a depth of 17.3 miles, the USGS said.
The Afghan Red Crescent said initial reports state 19 were killed and 320 injured.
The report came about an hour after Ministry of Public Health spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said that according to preliminary information, 10 people have died and 260 others were injured.
“Rescue teams are still working in the area, and the figures are subject to change,” he said in a statement on X.
“Medical teams have arrived in the affected area, and the leadership has ordered all nearby hospitals to be on alert to ensure better treatment for the injured.”
The military has been dispatched, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, which explained the areas most affected were located in Balkh and Samangan provinces.
A short video clip was posted to the ministry’s X account, showing an unresponsive, possibly dead child being pulled from the ground by her arms after being completely buried. The child’s condition was unknown.
“Our teams and partners are on the ground to assess needs and deliver urgent aid,” UNICEF Afghanistan said in a statement.
“We stand with the affected communities and will provide necessary support.”
The temblor struck about two months after a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 2,200 people.
د هیواد په شمال زون کې د زلزله له امله زیانمنو هیوادوالو ته د ملي اسلامي اردو د ژغورنې ټیمونه ورسېدل
تېره شپه شاوخوا ۱:۰۰ بجه د هېواد د شمال کې یو شمېر ولایتونه د زلزلې له امله ولړزېدل د راپورونو له مخې، د بلخ ولایت او سمنګان ولایت ځینې سیمې تر ټولو ډېرې اغېزمنې شوې… pic.twitter.com/pygSbeYjzw— د ملي دفاع وزارت – وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) November 3, 2025
