A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) — the latest in a string of natural disasters to hit the country as it battles multiple humanitarian crises.
The earthquake occurred in the early hours of the morning at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles), with its epicentre near Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest northern cities.
So far, no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage have been confirmed. However, poor communication networks and inadequate infrastructure could delay accurate assessments, as has been the case in previous disasters.
Residents in Mazar-i-Sharif fled their homes in panic, fearing collapse, while tremors were reportedly felt as far as 420 kilometres (260 miles) away in Kabul, the Afghan capital.
The latest tremor compounds the challenges faced by the Taliban-led government, which has already dealt with three major earthquakes since taking power in 2021.
In August 2024, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan destroyed entire mountainside villages, killing over 2,200 people. Earlier quakes in Herat (2023) and Nangarhar (2022) also left hundreds dead and thousands homeless.
The United Nations and various aid agencies continue to warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis, with rising hunger, drought, and economic restrictions crippling relief efforts. The return of millions of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan has further strained resources.
Afghanistan lies along the Hindu Kush fault line, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet, making it one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.
In many parts of the war-ravaged, mountainous country, homes are poorly built, and remote villages are often cut off for days — complicating disaster response and amplifying the toll of each quake.
