KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The death toll from a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan has risen to 27, with at least 956 people injured, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health said on Tuesday.
Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the highest casualties were recorded in Samangan and Balkh provinces. 13 deaths were confirmed in Samangan and 12 in Balkh, with one fatality each in Baghlan and Sar-e-Pol.
Amarkhil added that 418 people were injured in Samangan, 435 in Balkh, 19 in Baghlan, 65 in Kunduz, 16 in Sar-e-Pul and three in Jowzjan. Medical teams were dispatched to heavily affected areas, he added.
The quake struck early Monday, with its epicentre in the Khulm district of Samangan province. The Taliban had initially reported 20 deaths and 639 injuries before updating figures as rescue efforts continued and more information emerged from remote districts.
Initial assessments show significant damage to homes and infrastructure, especially in rural areas with limited emergency support.
Aid agencies and UN teams are calling for urgent international assistance, warning that many survivors are without shelter, clean water, or medical support. Women and children are among those most at risk as temperatures drop and relief supplies struggle to reach isolated communities.
Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes, with several major tremors hitting the country in recent years. In late August, a powerful quake in the east killed around 2,000 people, while a series of earthquakes in western Herat province in 2023 left more than 1,000 dead and displaced thousands.
