Powerful Earthquake Kills Eight in Afghanistan’s Samangan Province
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province around 1:00 a.m. local time, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 200 injured. The epicenter was reported in Khulm district, with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stating the quake occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers.
According to information from the Samangan Public Health Directorate, of the eight confirmed fatalities, one person died in the provincial capital, six in Khulm district, and another in the Hazrat Sultan district. More than 100 injuries have been reported in the provincial center, over 70 in Khulm, and 15 in Hazrat Sultan.
In response to the disaster, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense announced it had dispatched rescue teams from the 209 Al-Fath Army Corps to the affected areas. The ministry said its forces are carrying out rescue operations, transporting the wounded, and assisting affected families. However, independent sources have not verified the scale or effectiveness of these efforts.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid expressed condolences for the loss of life and property damage in the provinces of Balkh, Samangan, and Baghlan. He stated that relevant authorities are providing assistance to the victims. Despite these assurances, the Taliban’s handling of natural disasters has repeatedly faced criticism for lack of preparedness, inadequate relief infrastructure, and lack of transparency in aid distribution.
The severity of the latest earthquake has once again highlighted the vulnerability of northern Afghanistan’s infrastructure and the limited capacity of responsible agencies to respond effectively to crises. In the absence of a responsive government, residents in these regions continue to pay a heavy price.
