Published November 3, 2025
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake shook northern Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500, health officials said, adding that the number could rise further.
The epicenter of Monday’s quake was located 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Kulm, and occurred at 12:59 a.m. (12:29 p.m. Japan time) at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said 534 injured people and 20 bodies were taken to hospitals in Balkh and Samangan provinces. He added that rescue workers were on the scene and the numbers were changing.
In nearby Badakhshan province, the quake damaged or destroyed 800 houses in a village in Shahar-e-Bozorg district, said Ihsanullah Kamgar, a spokesman for the provincial police headquarters.
However, it added that exact casualty numbers are still not available due to a lack of internet service in remote areas.
Yousaf Hamad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said most of the injured sustained minor injuries and were discharged from hospital after treatment.
In Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, the Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and emergency teams have arrived in the worst-hit areas of Balkh and Samangan, where they are transporting and rescuing the injured.
The Defense Ministry said the debris flow temporarily closed the main mountain road between Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road has since reopened. Several injured people trapped along the highway were taken to hospital, police said.
