Afghanistan earthquake death toll climbs to 27, hundreds wounded

At least 27 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan at around 1 am local time on Monday (2030GMT Sunday), officials said.

The quake struck several northern provinces, including Balkh, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul, Baghlan, and Kunduz, also injuring 730 people, official Bakhtar News reported.

Most of the casualties were reported in northern Samangan and Balkh provinces.

The earthquake caused "severe human casualties and heavy financial losses," according to the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

Search and rescue operations are going on to look for survivors.

The provincial capital of Balkh, Mazar-e-Sharif, also reported casualties as well as damage to property.

Historic Rawza Mubarak also suffered some damage.

Damages have also been reported in the northwestern Baghlan province, according to officials.

Some 800 houses were partially destroyed in Chogani village of Shahr-e-Bozorg district of Badakhshan province.

The quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities, the US Geological Survey said.

Related World News

Donald Trump praises Modi for stopping purchase of Russian oil

PATNA: US President Donald Trump has said he could travel to India next year and noted that talks with India are “going good". "It’s great, going good. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) stopped... Largely he stopped buying oil from Russia,” Trump said at the O....

119 killed in massive police operation against Rio criminal ring

At least 119 people were killed in a massive police operation targeting an organized criminal ring in Brazil's second largest city Rio de Janeiro, authorities said Wednesday. The large-scale raid was launched Tuesday against members of the Comando Vermelho gang in the Alemao and Penha fa....

At least 22 killed in store explosion in northern Mexico

At least 22 people were killed after an explosion triggered a fire at a department store in Hermosillo, capital of the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local media reported Saturday. The explosion occurred in the afternoon at a chain department store in the city center, according to the....

Trump arrives in South Korea for high-stakes summits with Lee, Xi

US President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea Wednesday ahead of high-stakes summits with President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. Trump, who is on his first Asia t....

Israel attacks kill 9 people in Gaza after Netanyahu instructs to carry out strikes

Israel Defence Forces carried out air strikes, killing nine people in Gaza, following an alleged violation of the US-brokered ceasefire deal by Hamas, according to reports. The airstrike was carried out after PM Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to immediately carry out forceful strike....