KABUL, Afghanistan — A powerful, magnitude 6.3 earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn on Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, a disaster management official said.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was located 22 kilometers west-southwest of the town of Khulm, and that it struck at 12:59 am at a depth of 28 km.

The deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Qari Taj Mohammad Hemat, said the quake had left 20 people dead and 643 others injured, of whom 25 were in critical condition.

Earlier, Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said the dead and more than 500 of the injured had been brought to hospitals. Rescuers were at the scene and the figures were changing, he added.

In the capital Kabul, the Defense Ministry announced that rescue and emergency aid teams have reached the areas affected by the earthquake in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, which suffered the most damage, and have begun rescue operations, including transporting the injured and assisting affected families.

The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a post on X that the earthquake hit Afghanistan's Balkh, Samangan and Baghlan provinces, causing casualties and financial loss. He expressed his sorrow and grief over the losses and said relevant government organizations were busy trying to get needed help to the people affected by the quake.

In Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province, footage circulating on social media showed damage to the historic Blue Mosque. Several bricks had fallen from the walls but the mosque remained intact.

The centuries-old site is one of Afghanistan's most revered religious landmarks and a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals.

The Defense Ministry said a rock-slide briefly blocked a main mountain highway linking Kabul with Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road was later reopened. It said some people who were injured and trapped along the highway were transported to the hospital.

The United Nations in Afghanistan said on X that Monday's earthquake came just weeks after a deadly earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. The UN said its teams were on the ground assessing needs and delivering urgent aid.

Agencies Via Xinhua