(MENAFN) A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake tore through northern Afghanistan early Monday, claiming at least 19 lives and leaving hundreds injured in the pre-dawn disaster that struck around 1 a.m. local time (2030GMT Sunday), authorities confirmed.

The deadly tremor unleashed devastation primarily across Samangan and Balkh provinces in the country's northern region, the Afghan Red Crescent Society reported. The humanitarian organization warned the seismic event triggered "severe human casualties and heavy financial losses."

Emergency crews are currently conducting urgent search and rescue operations to locate survivors buried beneath collapsed structures.

Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesman for the Health Ministry, confirmed Samangan province bore the brunt of casualties. The provincial capital of Balkh, Mazar-e-Sharif, recorded both fatalities and significant property destruction, while officials also documented damage extending into northwestern Baghlan province.

The US Geological Survey pinpointed the earthquake's epicenter near Mazar-e-Sharif—one of Afghanistan's most populous urban centers—with the tremor originating at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles).

Government authorities have issued directives for all medical facilities to maintain full readiness to deliver emergency healthcare to earthquake victims.

This marks the eighth major seismic disaster to strike Afghanistan since the Taliban reassumed control in 2021. Earlier this year in August, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake devastated eastern Kunar province, resulting in over 2,200 deaths and reducing hundreds of residential and commercial structures to rubble.

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