As many as 20 people were killed and over 320 were injured after a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early today.

The quake occurred around 12:59 am local time at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles), with its epicenter located about 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm, near the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

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Afghanistan’s Health Ministry confirmed that hospitals in Mazar-e Sharif and surrounding areas received hundreds of injured people, while rescue teams were dispatched to affected districts.

Earlier reports from local media had placed the death toll at 10, but officials later updated the figures as more information came in from remote areas.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center

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