An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck northern Afghanistan early on Monday, the US Geological Survey said.
Residents in Mazar-e Sharif, the country’s fifth-largest city, were woken by powerful tremors shaking their homes about 1am local time (8.30pm GMT).
The US Geological Survey issued an orange alert and indicated that “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread”.
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The earthquake hit at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near the city, which is home to about 523,000 people.
The earthquake hit at a depth of 28 km near Mazar-e Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000 – USGS
The country’s national disaster management agency said reports on casualties and damage would be shared later.
The extent of damage from the earthquake could not be immediately verified.
As many as 2,000 people died after 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan in August.
More to come.
