Kabul, Nov 03 (V7N)- A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 20 people and injured more than 150 others near the holy city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, according to the country's health ministry, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Rescue operations are currently underway, and officials fear that the death toll may rise further as search efforts continue in remote mountainous areas.

Samim Joanda, a spokesperson for the Public Health Ministry in the province of Samangan, told Reuters that hospital reports as of Monday morning confirmed seven deaths and 150 injuries, with victims transferred to nearby health facilities.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake struck the Kholam area, near Mazar-i-Sharif, at 12:59 am local time, at a depth of 28 kilometers. The tremor sent residents rushing into the streets in panic during the night.

Earlier this year, on August 31, Afghanistan was hit by another deadly quake that claimed more than 2,200 lives, marking one of the country’s worst natural disasters in recent decades.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Sky News.

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