Provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration

A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on November 3 (local time), leaving at least 9 dead and over 200 injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred at 00:59 AM local time in the area of Zamgan, 37 km southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan.

The epicenter was located at 36.58 degrees North latitude and 67.48 degrees East longitude, with a focal depth of 28 km.

The Afghan National Disaster Management Authority announced that at least 5 people died and 143 were injured in Zamgan due to this earthquake.

The disaster management authority stated that most of the injured sustained minor injuries and were discharged after receiving initial treatment.

Local authorities informed the Associated Press that 4 people died and 120 injured individuals received hospital treatment in Balkh Province.

In Mazar-i-Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan with a population exceeding 500,000, many residents fled to the streets in fear of their homes collapsing when the earthquake struck in the middle of the night, according to AFP news agency.

Videos showing the rubble of collapsed houses and other buildings, as well as rescue efforts for people trapped in the debris, are circulating on local social media.

The mountainous regions of Afghanistan, including the earthquake-affected areas, suffer from poor infrastructure such as communication networks and roads. Consequently, it has taken authorities hours, or even days, to assess the extent of disaster damage in the past, AP explained.

The USGS issued a "red alert," the second highest of four alert levels, indicating a "high likelihood of significant casualties and potential for widespread disaster" from this earthquake.

The USGS also added that past earthquakes of a similar "red alert" level required regional or national responses.

The region stretching across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India is a junction where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it prone to frequent earthquakes.

Eastern and northeastern Afghanistan, in particular, have many poorly constructed mud-brick houses and challenging terrain, leading to significant loss of life when large earthquakes occur.

In late August and early September, more than 2,200 people died in two earthquakes that struck near Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan.

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