At least 20 dead and hundreds hurt as quake hits northern Afghanistan

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.3 shook northern Afghanistan before dawn yesterday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640, and damaging the historic Blue Mosque, officials said.

- Associated Press

The numbers of people killed or injured could rise, officials said.

In the town of Khulm, near the epicentre, people dug through the rubble of collapsed mud brick homes with shovels to salvage what belongings they could.

Ahmad Zia, a local resident, said the air was polluted from the dust that had risen from the ruins of houses. “We pulled the bodies of two people from the rubble, and their funerals will be held today,” he added.

Footage on social media from Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, showed that bricks had fallen from the walls of the Blue Mosque but the structure remained intact. The centuries-old site, one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks, is a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals.