QUETTA: At least 20 people have been reported dead and more than 300 others were injured when a strong earthquake struck different parts of Balochistan on early Thursday morning.
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 epicentre was located near Harnai at a depth of 15 km.
The earliest tremors were felt at 3:20AM while aftershocks are still being felt in different areas. Relief and rescue activities are underway in affected areas and an emergency has been declared in all hospitals.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the death toll is likely to rise. A medical emergency has been declared at the Civil Hospital Quetta where doctors and other paramedical staff have been recalled on emergency basis.
Deputy Commissioner Harnai Sohail Anwar Hashmi said thatseveral people have been rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He said that several buildings in Harnai have been damaged while many people have been buried under the rubble.
He said some government structures also were destroyed while the power supply to the area has been suspended. He added that levies and rescue teams have been dispatched to help and evacuate the affected people.
Rescue sources said more than 70 houses were reported damaged in Harnai. The bodies of ten people, including six children, and over 150 wounded people have been shifted to a hospital.
Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Lango confirmed that 15 people have lost their lives in the quake. He said the PDMA has sent heavy machinery and rescue teams to the affected areas from Quetta.
He said that there were reports of damage in Ziarat, Qila Saifullah and Sibi while most of the casualties were reported in Harnai. He added that most people are still stuck under the rubble of collapsed buildings. He said an emergency was also enforced in Quetta hospitals and the injured are being shifted to hospitals in Quetta.
