Earthquake Strikes Major City in Early Morning Hours
At least 20 people lost their lives when an earthquake severely hit northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, local authorities reported. As the rescue operations are underway, the death toll is still expected to get higher. Locals also confirm that hundreds of people have been wounded as well, and this information was given by local officials to the BBC. The quake hit Mazar-e-Sharif, a city in the north of Afghanistan, which is one of the largest urban areas with approximately half a million inhabitants, at around 01:00 local time (20:30 GMT Sunday evening).
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 with a depth of 28 kilometers. The color code was orange, which indicated that “significant casualties” were most likely. More than 20 people have lost their lives and more than 320 have been injured, according to Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesman for the Taliban government health ministry. Provincial officials told the BBC that the number of victims would increase as the rescue activities go on throughout the day.
People Rushed to the Streets Fearing a Building Collapse
Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province, said on Twitter that “many people are injured” in the Sholgara district south of Mazar-e-Sharif. He also said that “reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province” have been received. According to the spokesman, “most of the injuries were caused by people who fell from tall buildings while trying to escape.”
In Mazar-e-Sharif, a large number of people went out of their houses into the streets after the earth tremor took place, as they were afraid of their homes collapsing, AFP reported. Besides the tweet, he also shared a video on social media which showed debris lying on the ground at the Blue Mosque, a local landmark. The religious complex is believed to house the tomb of the first Shia Imam, a religious leader believed to hold divine knowledge. It is one of the most popular places where religious followers come to offer their prayers and celebrate religious events.
Afghanistan is Prone to Deadly Earthquakes
Khalid Zadran, a social media Taliban police spokesman in Kabul, mentioned that police units were “closely monitoring the situation.” Many people also lost their lives in Samangan, a hilly area, and a metal worker reported the same. The earthquake on Monday followed a 6.0 magnitude shock that hit the mountainous eastern region of Afghanistan in late August, which led to over 1,000 deaths.
The houses in the rural areas of the region that were made of mud and timber were the main reason for the earthshaking that killed so many people. People who were inside their homes found themselves trapped when their houses collapsed due to the quake. Afghanistan is located at the intersection of several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and is therefore very susceptible to earthquakes. The country is situated in an area where giant underground rock formations are pushing against each other and causing the earth to shake intensely when the accumulated pressure is released.
News At Glance
- After an earthquake in northern Afghanistan, at least 20 people have been killed, and more than 320 people have been injured.
- A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit near Mazar-e-Sharif city of 500,000 people at 01:00 local time
- Most of the injured were people who fell while running out of tall buildings
- The Blue Mosque landmark was damaged by the earthquake debris
- Because of its position between the fault lines of the two tectonic plates, Afghanistan is very vulnerable to earthquakes.
FAQs
Q: Where did the earthquake hit in Afghanistan?
A: The earthquake was near Mazar-e-Sharif, which is one of the largest cities in Afghanistan with a population of around 500,000. It is located in the northern part of the country.
Q: How strong was the earthquake?
A: The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 and its depth was 28 kilometers. According to the US Geological Survey, it was an orange alert level, which implies that significant casualties are very likely.
Q: How many people died?
A: At least 20 people have been confirmed dead, and more than 320 have been injured. Officials are of the opinion that the death toll will increase as rescue efforts will be ongoing.
Q: What caused most of the injuries?
A: People who were inside tall buildings and rushed out when the quake occurred underwent falls, which in turn caused the majority of injuries. These people most probably thought that their houses would collapse if they stayed inside.
Q: Why does Afghanistan have so many earthquakes?
A: It is because of the fact that Afghanistan is located at the intersection of the fault lines, whereby the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, that it is very susceptible to earthquakes.
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