3rd LD: 18 killed, scores injured as powerful earthquake shocks Afghanistan

At least 18 people have been confirmed dead and scores injured as a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Monday.

"Five bodies of the earthquake victims and 65 injured persons have been taken to hospital so far in Nangarhar's provincial capital Jalalabad city," Najibullah Kamawal, head of Nangarhar provincial health department, told Xinhua.

He also said the death toll would further rise.

"Twelve students of Bibi Hajira girl school lost their lives as part of the school building destroyed due to the quake in Takhar province," spokesman for the Takhar provincial government Sunatullah Timor told Xinhua.

He also added that 40 injured people from across the province have been taken to hospital in the provincial capital of Taluqan.

According to preliminary reports collected from different districts of Badakhshan province, one person has been confirmed dead and 86 houses destroyed, said head of Natural Disaster Department of Badakhshan province Sayed Abdullah Hamayon Dehqan.

Meantime, locals in Baghlan, Takhar, Jauzjan, Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces said scores of people sustained injuries and several houses have been destroyed and damaged.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the quake at 7.7 magnitude, and later revised it down to 7.5 magnitude. Enditem