Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan that killed more than 25 people and injured nearly 1,000 were digging through the rubble of their homes on Tuesday, trying to salvage what belongings they could after spending the night outside in the bitter cold. Rain was forecast for the region, further compounding the misery for survivors.
The 6.3 magnitude quake struck just before 1 am. Local time Monday, with an epicentre 22 kilometres (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm in Samangan province. By early Tuesday afternoon, the death toll stood at 27, while another 956 people were injured, Public Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said in a statement. The tremor also damaged historical sites, including Afghanistan’s famed Blue Mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, which is one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks, and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.
The Blue Mosque’s minaret was badly damaged, while some bricks and tiles had fallen from some of the mosque’s walls, and cracks appeared in other parts of the centuries-old site, said Mahmoodullah Zarar, Head of Information and Culture of Balkh Province. “The Holy Shrine is a valuable monument of Islamic values and the history of the Islamic era (and) is in dire need of repair and restoration,” he said, adding that information on the damage had been shared with the Ministry of Art and Culture.