At least ten people were killed in an earthquake on Sunday evening in northern Afghanistan, international news agencies report based on information from local authorities. Also, 260 injured people have already been counted. It is feared that the number of victims will continue to rise.
According to the American geological institute USGS, the quake had a force of 6.3 and took place at a depth of 28 kilometers not far from the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The shocks were also felt in the more southerly capital Kabul.
According to the Afghan Ministry of Defense, the provinces of Balkh and Samangan have been hit the hardest.
Rescue operation
Rescue teams that arrived in the area immediately began working to rescue people, transport the injured and assist affected families.
The earthquake destroyed part of the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, a spokesman for Balkh province said.
Afghanistan is vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies on two active fault lines. At the end of August, an earthquake and heavy aftershocks killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands.
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