DM Monitoring
QUETTA: A strong earthquake in different parts of Balochistan killed at least 20 people and injured more than 300 others early Thursday morning.
The earliest tremors were felt at 3:20am after which panicked citizens rushed out of their houses, reciting kalimas and verses from the holy Quran. Relief and rescue activities were underway in the affected areas with an emergency declared in all hospitals.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), most of the deceased are children. The quake affected Quetta, Sibi, Harnai, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Ziarat and Zhob in Balochistan. The magnitude of the quake was measured at 5.9 on the Richter scale.The death toll was feared to rise. According to the seismological centre, the epicentre was located near Harnai at a depth of 15km.
Much of the damage appears to have affected the Harnai district, officials said. Harnai, which is located east of the provincial capital Quetta, has a large number of coal mines.
A medical emergency has been declared at the Civil Hospital Quetta where doctors and other paramedical staff have been recalled on an emergency basis, the MS of the hospital said.
Social media showed houses shaking and light fittings swaying as the quake struck, and later stunned residents gathering in the street in the dark.
The injured were rushed to hospital, while some were treated on stretchers in the street under phone torch light. Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.
In October 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people across rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts. The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005, that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the Harnai, Balochistan earthquake. In a tweet, he condoled with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls. He prayed for the early recovery of those injured. President Arif Alvi was confident that the national and provincial disaster management authorities will provide quick relief to the affected people.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, has directed all federal departments to fully assist the Balochistan government in provision
of relief to the earthquake victims.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said the federal government will extend all possible assistance to Balochistan government in this difficult hour.
He also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the earthquake. He directed to provide best medical treatment to those injured.
The Prime Minister has received preliminary report of the losses caused by the tremor and the current situation in the quake hit areas.
Meanwhile, in a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he has ordered an immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the earthquake victims of Harnai.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said the civil armed forces are cooperating with the local administration in extending help to the quake victims of Balochistan. In a statement, he said Frontier Corps Balochistan (North) is fully participating in the rescue efforts. He said all resources are being utilized to carry out rescue and relief work in Harnai and adjoining areas.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain, too, has assured the government’s full cooperation to the victims.
In a statement, he expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the tremor and condoled with the bereaved families.
The Information Minister said the entire nation is aggrieved over the loss of lives in the quake. He said relevant departments have been directed to extend every possible assistance to the affected people.
