Islamabad [Pakistan], November 4: At least 27 people have died in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake struck the northern provinces of the country, according to the state-run news agency Bakhtar.
Another 730 people were wounded in the magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck around midnight, the report added.
The worst-affected area was Balkh province. A resident of Mazar-e-Sharif, speaking to state-run television RTA at the hospital, said he had not experienced such a tremor before. He said he had to jump out of a window, breaking his leg.
The historic Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif was also damaged. A video from TOLOnews shows debris on the ground around the building. Citing officials, the Afghan broadcaster reported that around 800 houses were destroyed or damaged in Badakhshan province.
Afghanistan's power utility company reported that the earthquake damaged power pylons, leaving Kabul and several other provinces in the dark. The company later said that one power pylon carrying imported electricity from Tajikistan had been reconnected.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake hit Balkh province at a depth of 28 kilometres.
Residents told DPA that tremors were also felt in the capital, Kabul.
The tremor struck just two months after more than 2,000 people were killed by a devastating quake in the country's east.
The Taliban government, in a statement, expressed sympathy for the affected families and said all relevant institutions had been directed to urgently deliver medical, food, and other essential assistance to the affected areas.
Source: Qatar Tribune
