A powerful magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck northernAfghanistanearly Monday, killing at least 12 people and injuring around 200 others, local media reported.
The quakes epicenter was located 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm at a depth of 28 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at 12:59 a.m. Monday local time.
Health officials said that 12 people were confirmed dead and about 200 were injured in Samangan province, near the epicenter.
Afghanistan has endured a series ofearthquakesin recent years that have caused thousands of deaths, and USGS models estimate that shaking from this quake could also result in hundreds of fatalities.
