In the early hours of November 3, 2025, a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolted northern Afghanistan awake, leaving devastation in its wake and compounding the hardships of a region already struggling with poverty and instability. The quake struck just before 1 a.m. local time, with its epicenter 22 kilometers west-southwest of Khulm in Samangan province, at a shallow depth of 28 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey. Residents from Mazar-i-Sharif to the outskirts of Samangan province were shaken from their sleep, as buildings trembled and the ground heaved beneath them.
By the afternoon of November 4, Afghan authorities confirmed the death toll had reached 27, with 956 people injured, as reported by Dr. Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health. The numbers could rise further, with search and rescue operations still underway and many remote communities only just beginning to assess the full extent of the damage. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority warned that casualties might climb as the situation continued to unfold.
Survivors spent the night outdoors in bitter cold, fearing aftershocks and the possibility of further destruction. "We spent the night in the open ground last night, the weather was very cold, we couldn’t sleep, we feel like there will be another earthquake now," local resident Asadullah Samangani told the Associated Press. The discomfort was palpable, with many families left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. "Our children were all sick in the morning because we had spent the night in the cold, and all the household items were under the rubble. People from other areas came to help, but our belongings are still under rubble and damaged. Our women are facing great difficulties, we do not have a toilet and we do not have a place where our women can spend the night," Samangani added.
The quake’s impact was felt far beyond Afghanistan’s borders, with tremors shaking regions of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, as confirmed by the USGS. At least five aftershocks rattled the area in the hours following the initial quake, the strongest measuring 5.2 magnitude. These repeated shocks left residents on edge, hesitant to return to what remained of their homes.
Damage to infrastructure was widespread. In at least nine provinces, including the capital Kabul, residents lost power after electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan—major suppliers of power to Afghanistan—were severed. The state-run energy company DABS reported that teams were “working urgently to restore both routes,” but large swathes of the north remained in darkness for hours. The Tashqurghan passage, a crucial route connecting Kabul to neighboring Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, was initially blocked by debris, but rescue teams managed to clear the way later in the day, according to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense.
Among the most visible casualties of the quake were Afghanistan’s treasured historical sites. The famed Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, a centuries-old monument and major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals, suffered significant damage. Mahmoodullah Zarar, Head of Information and Culture of Balkh Province, described the scene: "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." Video footage showed the mosque’s minaret badly damaged, with bricks and decorative tiles strewn across the ground, and cracks snaking through its ancient walls. The Blue Mosque, believed by some to be the resting place of Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, is not just an architectural marvel but a cornerstone of Afghanistan’s spiritual heritage.
The earthquake also dealt a heavy blow to the 19th-century Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm. Firozuddin Munib, Samangan province’s Head of Information and Culture, emphasized the urgency of repairs: "The restoration of this palace is very important because winter is coming and the area is cold, and it is raining, which may cause further damage." The quake caused the collapse of a surrounding wall and one tower, while cracks appeared in the palace and other towers, threatening the structural integrity of this popular historical site.
Health infrastructure was not spared. The World Health Organization reported partial damage to several health facilities in the region, including the collapse of the laboratory at Samangan Provincial Hospital, which destroyed critical medical equipment. At least three hospitals in the quake zone were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of injured people and urgently needed additional medical supplies and emergency personnel to sustain life-saving services, the WHO noted. Emergency response operations with health teams and rescue units remained ongoing throughout November 4.
For many Afghans, the disaster exposed the vulnerabilities of daily life in a country where most rural homes are built from mud bricks and wood—materials ill-suited to withstand seismic shocks. Rahima, a 50-year-old former schoolteacher in Mazar-i-Sharif, described her family’s terror: "I had never experienced such a strong earthquake in my life," she told CNN. "I am happy that my house is made of concrete in the city. I don’t know if houses made of mud have survived this earthquake in the outskirts of the city." The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority reported widespread property damage, including broken windows and structural harm to homes, especially in rural areas where construction standards are often poor.
International aid organizations and foreign governments responded swiftly. The United Nations confirmed it had teams on the ground to assess needs and deliver urgent aid, with initial flyover assessments revealing fewer signs of devastation than initially feared. India delivered relief materials and medicines on November 4, with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stating, "Indian relief material for the earthquake impacted communities is being handed over today. Further supplies of medicines to reach soon." Save the Children, which deployed a team to the area, warned of the mental health toll on children and the urgent need for winter protection. "This is tragically the latest in a series of earthquakes to hit Afghanistan. As temperatures fall, thousands of children in the earthquake-devastated east of the country are facing the winter with only tents for protection from the rain and snow. Now, families in the north are also experiencing fear and uncertainty after this latest powerful quake," said Samira Sayed Rahman, the organization’s programme development and advocacy director for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s ability to respond to natural disasters has been further hampered by a sharp decline in international aid following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, leaving communities even more vulnerable. The country has endured a string of deadly earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.3-magnitude quake in October 2023 that killed more than 2,000 people and another in August that claimed over 2,200 lives in the east.
As rescue crews wrapped up operations and survivors began the slow process of recovery, the scars—physical and emotional—were unmistakable. For many, the earthquake was yet another reminder of both Afghanistan’s enduring resilience and the urgent need for sustained support as winter approaches and the challenges of rebuilding loom large.
