Powerful 6.3 earthquake hits northern Afghanistan, killing 20 and damaging historic Blue Mosque

Powerful 6.3 earthquake hits northern Afghanistan, killing 20 and damaging historic Blue Mosque World Nov 3, 2025 4:13 PM EST

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, as well as damaging the historic Blue Mosque, officials said.

The numbers of people killed or injured could rise, officials said.

In the town of Khulm, near the epicenter, people dug through the rubble of collapsed mud brick homes with shovels and picked through debris to salvage what belongings they could.

Local resident Ahmad Zia said the air was polluted from all the dust that rose from the ruins of houses. “We pulled the bodies of two people from the rubble, and their funerals will be hel