At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue. Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.

A strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 12:59 a.m. Afghanistan time about 14 miles southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, data from the agency shows.

At least 27 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan at around 1 am local time on Monday (2030GMT Sunday), officials said.

According to USGS, the exact location of the earthquake was at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e Sharif, a city in Afghanistan which has an approximate population of 523,000.

A 6.3-magnitude quake near Mazar-e Sharif exposed Afghanistans seismic threat. Experts explained how the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates causes deadly, frequent tremors.

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

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring about 150, just months after a quake and strong aftershocks killed more than 2,

Hemmed in by rugged mountains, Afghanistan is prone to a range of natural disasters, but its earthquakes cause the most fatalities, killing about 560 people on average each year and causing annual damages estimated at $80 million. Studies indicate at least 355 earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 5.0 have hit Afghanistan since 1990.