QUETTA/KARACHI: A strong earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck the southwestern province of Balochistan on Tuesday, killing up to 45 people, officials said.
Spokesman Frontier Corps (FC) Khan Wasey has confirmed the death of 46 people including women and children in Awaran and Kech districts of the province. He said more than one hundred have been injured in the earthquake also.
The government of Balochistan has dispatched 1000 tents, 500 food bags, medicines, 15 ambulances towards Awaran, Jan Buledi, the spokesman for Balochistan government told Dawn.com.
The chief spokesman for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Mirza Kamran Zia, said most of the casualties occurred when houses collapsed on people inside.
Khairjan Baloch, Political Secretary to Chief Minister Balochistan and a former administrator in the worst-affected Awaran district had earlier confirmed the death of 30 people throughout the province.
Baloch said 30 people were killed in Awaran while there were reports of three other deaths in Turbat.
“Six dead bodies have been recovered in Awaran bazar,” said Deputy Commissioner Awaran, Abdul Rasheed Baloch, adding that four dead bodies have been recovered in far flung villages of the district. “I fear more people are trapped inside the collapsed houses,” he said.
Baloch said a rescue operation was launched in the area and all forces were placed on high alert to retrieve the people from the rubble. He said there were reports that hundreds of mud- houses in the district had also collapsed during tremors.
Chief Minister Balochistan Dr. Malik Baloch has ordered deputy commissioners of all 30 districts to remain on high alert in the aftermath of deadly quake. Spokesman for the government of Balochistan, Jan Buledi, told Dawn.com that a rescue operation had been launched in Awaran.
According to the US Geoplogical Survery, the intensity of the quake was measured at 7.8 on the Richter scale while the Pakistan meteorological office said the epicentre was located near Kharan area of Balochistan.
Mohammad Hanif, an official at the meteorological department, said the intensity was measured at 7.7 on the Ricther Scale, which he described as a “very strong earthquake”.
According to television reports, aftershocks were felt all over Balochistan including Quetta, the provincial capital. The earthquake was also felt in the adjoining province of Sindh, including cities of Karachi, Jacobabad, Khairpur, and Nowshero Feroz.
Minor tremors were felt as far away as the Indian capital city of New Delhi, while office workers in the city of Ahmedabad near the border with Pakistan ran out of buildings and into the street.
According to the Times of India, strong tremors shook tall buildings in New Delhi, sending people running out into the streets.
In April a 7.8-magnitude quake centred in southeast Iran, close to the border with Balochistan, killed 41 people and affected more than 12,000 on the Pakistani side of the border.
Island near Gwadar
Meanwhile, a 30 to 40 feet high mountain like island has also emerged at western coast of Gwadar as result of the earthquake, Mozzam Jah, Deputy Inspector General Police Gwadar said.
He said a large number of people are gathered to witness the island.
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