Afghanistan earthquake death toll reaches 27, over 800 injured PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

The number of casualties from the earthquake in northern Afghanistan has reached 857, including 830 wounded and at least 27 dead, according to the Director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy.

“The powerful earthquake that struck the north of the country last night has claimed at least 27 lives, and 830 people were injured,” she said, Tolo News reports.

The organisation warned that during ongoing rescue operations to extract people from the rubble, the death toll could rise, as the situation in some areas is critical. Balkhi emphasised that rescuers continue to provide necessary assistance to the injured.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the earthquake occurred in central Afghanistan, with a magnitude of 6.3. Rescue teams are continuing to clear debris and update the number of casualties.

17:02

The number of injured in the earthquake in northern Afghanistan reached 534, with over 20 killed, the spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Public Health, Sharafat zaman Amar, said in a post on X.

د زلزلې په اړه تازه:

تر اوس مهال د معلوماتو په اساس د بیګانۍ زلزلې له کبله ۵۳۴ تنه ټپیان او تر شل پورته شهیدان په بلخ او سمنګان ولایت کې روغتونو ته راوړل شوي ،په سیمه کې لا هم د ژغورنې ټیمونه په کار بوخت دي او ارقام د بدلیدو په حال کې دي! pic.twitter.com/p8Fztn1nAU

— Dr Sharafat zaman Amar (@SharafatAmar) November 3, 2025

“As a result of the earthquake in Samangan and Balkh, more than 20 people were killed and 534 were injured. Medical teams are on the scene,” the report said.

The ministry representative added that the figures are not final, and the death toll may rise. All hospitals in the nearby areas are fully prepared to receive the injured.

10:34

At least 20 people were killed and 320 were injured in the Afghanistan earthquake, Reuters reports, citing the country’s Ministry of Health.

Earlier, the agency reported seven deaths and 150 injuries.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, occurred on November 3 at 01:29 (02:59 Baku time) near the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicentre was at a depth of 28 km.

The tremors were also felt in Uzbekistan, according to the republic’s Ministry of Emergency Situations’ seismological monitoring centre. In Surkhandarya region, the intensity reached five points, in Kashkadarya region three to four points, in five other regions three points, and in Tashkent two to three points.

09:25

In the early morning of November 3, a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, killing at least 10 people and injuring about 260 others, officials said, warning that the death toll could rise.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometres (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e Sharif, a major city with a population of roughly 523,000, Caliber.Az reports via Reuters.

Samim Joyanda, spokesperson for the health department in Samangan province, told Reuters that as of Monday morning, “a total of 150 people injured and seven martyred have been reported and transferred to health centres.” He said the toll was based on hospital data collected from the affected regions.

The Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Defence said that parts of Balkh and Samangan provinces were among the hardest hit, resulting in multiple fatalities and extensive damage. “Military rescue and emergency assistance teams reached the area immediately and began operations to rescue people, transport the injured, and assist affected families,” the ministry said in a statement.

Health ministry spokesperson Sharfat Zaman confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing and cautioned that casualty numbers were likely to increase as emergency teams reached more remote areas.

Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain and proximity to several tectonic fault lines make it highly susceptible to earthquakes. The latest tremor comes just months after a devastating quake in late August killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands in the southeast of the country.

By Khagan Isayev