A strong earthquake killed at least nine people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday, just months after another deadly tremor left the country reeling.

The 6.3 magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometers, with the epicenter near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Four people were killed in Balkh province, where Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital, according to Kamal Khan Zadran, a health department spokesman.