A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early on Monday, jolting residents in Mazar-i-Sharif and sending tremors as far south as Kabul.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 28 kilometers around 1:30 a.m. local time, prompting widespread panic but causing no immediate fatalities or major structural damage.

The epicenter was located near Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities, where residents fled homes fearing collapse. Poor infrastructure and limited access to remote areas have delayed full damage assessments, though initial reports from local authorities and aid workers indicate minimal destruction.

Agence France-Presse correspondents on the ground observed scenes of panic but no widespread devastation. The Taliban government and humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations and Red Crescent, have mobilized in anticipation of potential aftershocks. Afghanistan sits along the seismically active Hindu Kush range, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates converge.

The quake comes amid ongoing humanitarian challenges, including drought, food insecurity, banking restrictions, and the recent expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan. Foreign aid, once a critical lifeline, has dwindled since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

No casualties have been confirmed, a rare outcome in a country where rural dwellings are often vulnerable to collapse. Communication blackouts in outlying regions have hindered rapid response efforts. The USGS noted that the shallow depth of the quake amplified ground shaking, but Mazar-i-Sharif’s urban density may have mitigated the worst impacts.

The event follows a series of deadly quakes in recent years, including the August 2025 tremor in eastern Afghanistan that killed over 2,200 people and injured 2,700, as well as the Herat and Nangarhar earthquakes in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

No international response has been announced as of Monday morning as relief teams continue to assess the situation.