At least 20 were killed as 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocks parts of Balochistan

An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck the belt of Balochistan unseasonably on Thursday morning, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 300 others, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the earthquake was centered near the barony’s Harnai nabe and had a depth of 15 kilometers.

It added the tremor had a longitude of67.96 east and a latitude of30.08 north.

Temblors were felt in Quetta, Sibbi, Pishin, Muslim Bagh, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Sanjavi, Zhob, and Chaman, the PDMA said in its pioneer report.

It further said the” exact damage” has not yet been validated.

The death ante was also validated by the Deputy Commissioner of Harnai District Sohail Anwar Hashmi. He said six children were also among the late.

The injured, which include women and children, have been shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Harnai, he said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani partook that help and evacuation troubles were underway.
” Blood, ambulances, tinderbox support, ( whirlybirds) and rest all stuff are placed. All departments are working on it,” he chittered.

Security forces also reached the neighborhood for deliverance and relief labors, theInter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Army croakers and paramedics were propping the civil administration with necessary medical care, it said, adding that food and remedies were also transported to remote mountainous section Harnai, which was the worst-affected area where a lack of paved roads, electricity, and mobile phone content hampered salvation whiles.

Nine critically injured cases were airlifted to Quetta in Pakistan Army whirlybirds, according to the statement.

The ISPR statement said the inspector general of Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan has reached the quarter for damage assessment and response. In addition, a governmental hunt and deliverance crew was being flown in from Rawalpindi to backstop in deliverance work.

An injured case is being airlifted from Harnai to Quetta. — Print via NDMA

Landsliding, infrastructural damage

. Speaking to Geo News, PDMA Director General Naseer Ahmed Nasir said there had been some landslides in mountainous areas. He added that houses within a 15 km ambit of Harnai had been destroyed and salvation gangs were busy in relief pains.

The officer said that government structures had been damaged as well.

“ There are reports that some 15 coal miners are trapped in a mine on the outskirts of the megacity due to the temblor,” Suhail Anwar Hashmi, an old petty government officer in Harnai told AFP.

Single-handedly, Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove said five to six quarters were affected on a” major scale” and data was still being collected.

He said the utmost number of deaths and injuries had been reported in Harnai, adding that critical cases would be shifted to Quetta incontinently.

“They’re our people, the state’s funds are for them. People will not be left helpless. Those who have suffered a loss will be compensated,” the minister said while speaking to Geo News.

President Arif Alvi expressed condolence over the loss of lives in the earthquake. He hoped the authorities will fast abet in relief operations.

In August, an earthquake of3.1 magnitude had jolted Karachi. The earthquakes spread alarm among locals, notwithstanding, no casualties or damage was reported.

In June last cycle, an earthquake of5.7 magnitude was recorded in several areas of KP, including the illiberal capital Peshawar. Prior to that, another earthquake measuring6.4 on the Richter scale had struck the northern areas of the country as well as Afghanistan. No significant loss to life and property was reported in either incident.

In September 2019, notwithstanding, an earthquake had struck several areas of southern Azad Jammu and Kashmir, claiming the lives of 38 people and leaving hundreds of others injured.