Aftermath of Deadly Earthquake in Samangan Province

Residents in Kholm district of Afghanistan’s Samangan province are clearing rubble after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan.

The quake killed at least 27 people and injured nearly 1,000 others, authorities said. It hit near Mazar-i-Sharif early Monday, damaging the city’s historic Blue Mosque. Hundreds of houses were destroyed or damaged, according to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority. Aid groups warned of severe hardship as winter nears.

The Taliban administration faces growing challenges amid reduced foreign aid and refugee deportations. A major quake in August had already killed thousands in the country’s east. Afghanistan’s earthquakes kill an average of 560 people yearly and cause $80 million in damages.