 "Fragments from one of the minarets were seen scattered around the Blue Mosque.")
The renowned Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, a jewel of 15th-century architecture, has sustained damage following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that shook northern Afghanistan overnight.
The historic site, famous for its spectacular, colourful tiling and a rare tourist attraction in the country, was visibly impacted, as reported by AFP. Fragments of the elaborate structure, particularly from one of its minarets, were seen scattered across the mosque’s grounds.
Over 20 people have died so far and around 320 injured as a result of the earthquake struck, the health ministry said Monday.
In the Balkh and Samangan provinces “around 320 countrymen have been injured and more than 20 have been killed,” ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a video message shared with journalists, specifying that this only a preliminary toll.
According to the US Geological Survey, its epicentre was situated 22 km west-southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 28 km.
A history of destructive earthquakes in Afghanistan
This recent tremor follows a series of deadly quakes in Afghanistan:
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border on August 31, 2025, tragically killing over 2,200 people.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPrior to that, a magnitude 6.3 quake on October 7, 2023, coupled with powerful aftershocks, resulted in at least 4,000 fatalities, based on figures from the Taliban government.