Magnitude-6.3 earthquake in northern Afghanistan kills at least nine, injures dozens

KABUL: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif early on Monday, killing at least nine people and injuring about 150, provincial authorities said on Monday. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-i-Sharif, which has a population of about 523,000. The toll was based on hospital reports collected as of Monday morning, he said. Four people were killed in Balkh province, where Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital, according to Kamal Khan Zadran, a health department spokesman.