Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan are digging through the rubble of their homes after spending a bitterly cold night outdoors

Afghanistan's Taliban government says a powerful earthquake in the country's north has killed at least 20 people and left hundreds injured.

A strong earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring hundreds more, though the death toll is expected to rise.

Afghan officials say a powerful, 6.3 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Afghanistan overnight killed at least 20 people

At least seven people were killed after a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near a northern Afghan city early on Monday. The earthquake hit Kholm near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Hindu Kush at around 12.

A strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 12:59 a.m. Afghanistan time about 14 miles southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, data from the agency shows.

Taliban officials said the death toll could rise as rescue teams arrive and assess the damage from the quake, which struck near one of Afghanistan’s largest cities.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, as well as damaging the historic Blue Mosque, officials said.

Relations between the two neighbors hit a low point this month, with fighting killing people on both sides of the border. At issue is a rise in militancy in Pakistan since the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

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