(MENAFN- Live Mint) A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near one of Afghanistan's largest cities in the wee hours of Monday.

The quake was detected near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the town of Khulm, and struck at a depth of 23 kilometres, as per the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

Given the timing of the earthquake, which struck at at 1 am local time, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned that it could be deadly.

"Significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response," the USGS was quoted as saying by CNN.

Afghanistan's national disaster management agency said assessments on casualties and damages would be shared later, reported Reuters.

Deadly quakes in recent past

Afghanistan is no stranger to deadly earthquakes, having seen major ones in the recent past.

Earlier in August this year, at least 2,200 people were killed and more than 2,800 others were injured after a 6.0-magnitude struck the mountainous stretch of provinces in the eastern region of Afghanistan.

The quake on 31 August had struck Afghanistan's Kunar province at 11.47 pm local time.

Two years back, in October 2023, Afghanistan also saw widespread devastation after four large earthquakes measuring 6.3 in magnitude, and their aftershocks, struck near the city of Herat.

Over 1,000 people lost their lives in the 2023 quake and over 2,400 were reportedly injured.

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)

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