Powerful Afghanistan quake caught on camera, mud-brick homes shake | Watch

At least 20 people died and 643 others were injured due to the tremors, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority said

A powerful earthquake of 6.3 magnitude shook Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people and injuring several others on Sunday. The overnight tremors also damaged the Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif, a famous religious landmark.

Footage on social media from Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, showed several bricks had fallen from the walls of the Blue Mosque(Reuters)

Several videos surfaced on social media showing strong tremors shaking Afghanistan as people were seen digging through the rubble in the aftermath.

A CCTV footage from Afghanistan captured the moment when the earthquake struck and shook the city. In the footage, the camera can be seen shaking aggressively due to the earthquake.

Several videos were also recorded aftermath of the disaster, in which people can be seen rushing and digging through bricks and rubble. Footage on social media from Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, showed several bricks had fallen from the walls of the Blue Mosque. However, HT cannot independently verify the veracity of these clips.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake's epicentre was located 22 kilometres west-southwest of the town of Khulum and struck at 12:59 am at a depth of 28 kilometres.

20 dead, several injured

The deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Qari Taj Mohammad Hemat, informed that 20 people lost their lives and 643 others were injured in the deadly earthquake, Associated Press reported.

The quake, which was felt in the capital, Kabul, and several other provinces, also led to the blocking of roads. A rockslide briefly blocked a main mountain highway linking Kabul with Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road was later reopened.

In the nearby province of Badakhshan, the quake partially or completely destroyed 800 houses in one village in the Shahr-e-Bozorg district, said Ihsanullah Kamgar, spokesperson for the provincial police headquarters.