A powerful earthquake of 7.7
magnitude has shaken south Asia, with more than two minutes of sustained
shaking felt in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and buildings rattling in Afghanistan and
India.
The quake was also felt in the
Pakistani cities of Lahore, Faisalabad and the mountainous region of Chitral.
ISLAMABAD: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck major cities of
Pakistan, including the northern areas on Monday, leaving several injured due
to roof and building collapses. At least 12 casualties have been reported from
various areas.
Six people were killed in Swat, while four people were
killed in the Bajaur tribal region after the collapse of buildings in the area.
A child was killed in Kallar Kahar.
A wall collapsed in Sargodha, killing one and injuring 10
people, while three are injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Tremors have been felt in major cities, including Lahore,
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Malakand.
Rescue 1122 has been put on high alert in Punjab. The
disaster response force is on standby and a code red has been imposed, Director
General Rescue Punjab Retd Brig Dr Ashraf Zia said. Rescue 1122 Spokesman Jam
Sajjad said there were no reports of any deaths in Lahore.
Communication services have been disrupted in Islamabad,
where walls swayed back and forth and people poured out of office buildings in
a panic, reciting verses from the Holy Quran. A building has also reportedly
collapsed in Peshawar.
Citizens took to social media to post reports of the massive
quake that lasted for up to one minute.
Tremors were also felt in Kabul and New Delhi.
7.7 on Richter scale
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in northeastern
Afghanistan, the United States Geological Survey said.
Vineet Gahlot, the director of seismology at the Indian
Meteorological Department, said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and an
epicentre deep in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Pakistan state TV
reported the same magnitude.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department, however, said the
magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1.
The quake was 196km deep and centred 82km southeast of
Feyzabad in a remote area of Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
According to USGS, the epicentre is 67km from Chitral.
Rescue operation
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal, civil,
military and provincial agencies to declare an immediate alert and mobilise all
resources to ensure the security of citizens of Pakistan. All agencies have
been directed to move out with their resources.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army
Staff General Raheel Sharif has directed army personnel to reach out where
required to help affected people without waiting for orders.
Pakistan and the region, along an active continental plate
boundary, is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake
struck Pakistan's Balochistan province, killing at least 376 people. In 2005,
the country was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000
people and left about 3.5 million homeless.
A powerful earthquake of 7.7
magnitude has shaken south Asia, with more than two minutes of sustained
shaking felt in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and buildings rattling in Afghanistan and
India.
The quake was also felt in the
Pakistani cities of Lahore, Faisalabad and the mountainous region of Chitral.
ISLAMABAD: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck major cities of
Pakistan, including the northern areas on Monday, leaving several injured due
to roof and building collapses. At least 12 casualties have been reported from
various areas.
Six people were killed in Swat, while four people were
killed in the Bajaur tribal region after the collapse of buildings in the area.
A child was killed in Kallar Kahar.
A wall collapsed in Sargodha, killing one and injuring 10
people, while three are injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Tremors have been felt in major cities, including Lahore,
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Malakand.
Rescue 1122 has been put on high alert in Punjab. The
disaster response force is on standby and a code red has been imposed, Director
General Rescue Punjab Retd Brig Dr Ashraf Zia said. Rescue 1122 Spokesman Jam
Sajjad said there were no reports of any deaths in Lahore.
Communication services have been disrupted in Islamabad,
where walls swayed back and forth and people poured out of office buildings in
a panic, reciting verses from the Holy Quran. A building has also reportedly
collapsed in Peshawar.
Citizens took to social media to post reports of the massive
quake that lasted for up to one minute.
Tremors were also felt in Kabul and New Delhi.
The full extent of the damage and the number of possible
casualties is not yet known.
7.7 on Richter scale
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in northeastern
Afghanistan, the United States Geological Survey said.
Vineet Gahlot, the director of seismology at the Indian
Meteorological Department, said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and an
epicentre deep in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Pakistan state TV
reported the same magnitude.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department, however, said the
magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1.
The quake was 196km deep and centred 82km southeast of
Feyzabad in a remote area of Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
According to USGS, the epicentre is 67km from Chitral.
Rescue operation
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal, civil,
military and provincial agencies to declare an immediate alert and mobilise all
resources to ensure the security of citizens of Pakistan. All agencies have
been directed to move out with their resources.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army
Staff General Raheel Sharif has directed army personnel to reach out where
required to help affected people without waiting for orders.
Pakistan and the region, along an active continental plate
boundary, is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake
struck Pakistan's Balochistan province, killing at least 376 people. In 2005,
the country was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000
people and left about 3.5 million homeless.
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