Victims Died As A Result Of The Afghanistan Earthquake Increased To 20 People

JAKARTA - The death toll from the Richter-scale 6.3 earthquake near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif increased to 20 and injured hundreds.

The earthquake also damaged the historic Blue Mosque in the city, authorities said, with the death toll likely to increase.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) stated the earthquake occurred at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000 people.

It was reported that 20 people were killed and about 320 people injured, a spokesman for the Sharfat Zaman Ministry of Health said. But officials warned the number of victims could rise as rescue teams reached remote villages in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan the worst affected.

Videos shared on social media platform X show emergency response officers looking for survivors among the ruins.

One video shows the rescue team pulling the body from the rubble of the building. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the recording of the rescue attempt.

"Our rescue and health team has arrived in the area, and all nearby hospitals have been alerted by the leadership to treat injured victims," Zaman said.

The earthquake damaged parts of the Blue Mosque, the holiest holy place in Mazar-e Sharif, said spokesman for Balkh province, Haji Zaid.

This mosque is considered one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan and is believed to be the burial site for the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. The current structure was built in the 15th century.

Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed shards of bricks and tiles strewn across the mosque grounds, although the main structure remained standing.

The disaster is the latest challenge for the war-torn Afghan Taliban government, which has grappled with various crises including the August earthquake that killed thousands of people, a sharp decline in foreign aid, and the mass deportation of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries.

The earthquake disrupted electricity supply across the country, including to the capital Kabul, according to a statement by the national power supply company Da Afghanistan Bleshna Company.