Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:04am on 03 Nov 2025,Monday International
A devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring approximately 260, with casualties expected to rise. The US Geological Survey reported the quake occurred at 28km depth near the city of 523,000 residents. Balkh and Samangan provinces suffered most severely, with the historic Blue Mosque partially destroyed. Afghan Taliban defense ministry deployed military rescue teams immediately, while health facilities were placed on standby. The USGS issued an orange alert, warning of widespread disaster and significant casualties. Afghanistan's vulnerability stems from two active fault lines; over 2,200 died in August's southeastern earthquake. Rescue operations continue extracting victims from rubble.
