Powerful earthquake destroys buildings in Afghanistan’s Samangan province, killing at least 20

Residents of Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province were clearing debris on Monday after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640, officials said.

Twenty-five of the wounded are in critical condition, and authorities warned the toll could rise.

Survivors described scenes of destruction as they pulled victims from the rubble.

The impoverished nation often struggles to respond to such disasters, with many rural homes made of mud brick and wood, leaving them highly vulnerable to collapse.