The USGS reported a magnitude 6.3 earthquake near Mazar-i-Sharif and Khulm in northern Afghanistan at a depth of about 28 km (17.4 miles). USGS models and the PAGER orange alert warn that the shaking could cause hundreds of fatalities and potentially widespread damage. The tremor was felt in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and at least five aftershocks followed, the strongest at magnitude 5.2. Assessments and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Powerful 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Mazar-i-Sharif; Hundreds Feared
The USGS reported a magnitude 6.3 earthquake near Mazar-i-Sharif and Khulm in northern Afghanistan at a depth of about 28 km (17.4 miles). USGS models and the PAGER orange alert warn that the shaking could cause hundreds of fatalities and potentially widespread damage. The tremor was felt in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and at least five aftershocks followed, the strongest at magnitude 5.2. Assessments and rescue efforts are ongoing.
01:58, 03.11.2025Society
Powerful quake hits northern Afghanistan near Mazar-i-Sharif
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the nearby town of Khulm in the early hours of Monday local time, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake occurred at an approximate depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles).
USGS modelling indicates the shaking could produce hundreds of fatalities, and the agency’s PAGER system issued an orange alert, warning that "significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread." The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said several provinces were shaken at around 1 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday).
The tremor was felt across parts of neighbouring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Officials have not yet released a full, consolidated damage assessment; search, rescue and first-response operations are expected to continue as information emerges.
“We woke up terrified,” said one Mazar-i-Sharif resident who spoke to CNN, adding that her children ran "down the stairs screaming."
Rahima, a former schoolteacher, told reporters the quake broke several windows and cracked interior plaster. “I am relieved my house is concrete,” she said, expressing concern for mud-built homes in outlying areas that are more vulnerable to collapse.
USGS recorded at least five aftershocks in the hours after the main event, the strongest measuring magnitude 5.2. Afghanistan has experienced deadly quakes in recent months: a 6.0-magnitude quake in August killed at least 800 people and injured more than 2,800, and a separate 6.3-magnitude temblor in October 2023 killed more than 2,000 people in western Afghanistan.
Status: This is a developing story. Authorities and aid organizations are assessing the scale of the damage and mobilizing emergency responses. More details will follow as they become available.