KABUL - A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was 22 kilometers west-southwest of the town of Khulam and struck at 12:59 a.m. local time at a depth of 28 kilometers.
In addition to the 10 deaths, about 300 people were injured in the earthquake, according to Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman. Yousef Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Disaster Management Agency, said most of the injured had minor injuries and were discharged after receiving first aid.
The Ministry of Defense in the Afghan capital Kabul announced that rescue and emergency assistance teams have reached the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, the worst-hit by the earthquake, and have begun rescue operations. According to Afghan officials, tremors from the earthquake were also felt in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province. The tremors were also felt in Kabul and several other provinces in Afghanistan.