At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday, (20:30 GMT on Sunday).
It had a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 28km (17 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, and was marked at the orange alert level, which indicates significant casualties are likely.
More than 530 people have been injured, according to the Taliban government health ministry.
Provincial officials earlier told the BBC that casualties were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, stated that many people are injured in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif. He mentioned that most injuries resulted from individuals falling from tall buildings during the quake.
Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif quickly filled the streets as the tremors shook their homes, fearing potential collapses. The earthquake also caused widespread power outages across the country, affecting electricity supply from neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as lines were damaged.
Conditions are challenging, as Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes due to its positioning on major fault lines. Previous earthquakes have wreaked havoc, leading to significant casualties, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is inadequate to withstand such natural disasters.
Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.
The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday, (20:30 GMT on Sunday).
It had a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 28km (17 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, and was marked at the orange alert level, which indicates significant casualties are likely.
More than 530 people have been injured, according to the Taliban government health ministry.
Provincial officials earlier told the BBC that casualties were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, stated that many people are injured in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e-Sharif. He mentioned that most injuries resulted from individuals falling from tall buildings during the quake.
Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif quickly filled the streets as the tremors shook their homes, fearing potential collapses. The earthquake also caused widespread power outages across the country, affecting electricity supply from neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as lines were damaged.
Conditions are challenging, as Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes due to its positioning on major fault lines. Previous earthquakes have wreaked havoc, leading to significant casualties, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is inadequate to withstand such natural disasters.
