A devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, claiming the lives of at least five individuals and leaving 143 others injured, as reported by Yousaf Hammad, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the epicenter of the quake at 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, with a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles). The tremor struck at 12:59 a.m. local time and was felt across multiple provinces. Most of the casualties and injuries occurred in Samangan province, where the majority of the injured sustained minor wounds and were released after receiving initial medical care. This seismic event follows a series of devastating earthquakes in the region, including a magnitude 6.0 quake in August 2025 that killed over 2,200 people and a magnitude 6.3 quake in October 2023 that left at least 4,000 dead, according to the Taliban government.
Powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes northern Afghanistan, killing at least 5 people
