A magnitude-6.3 earthquake has struck northern Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake hit at a depth of 28 kilometres in Kholm, a town with a population of nearly 65,000.

The quake was felt by AFP correspondents in the capital, Kabul.

The country's national disaster management agency said reports on casualties and damage would be shared later.

An orange alert was issued for the quake, with 100–1,000 fatalities estimated by the USGS.

"Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response," they said on their website.

In the neighbouring region of Mazar-i-Sharif, many people ran into the street in the middle of the night, fearing their homes might collapse, an AFP correspondent said. In August, the

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