Several killed and injured as powerful earthquake jolts Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Several people are reported to have lost their lives and more than one hundred injured, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake — with its epicentre being the Hindu Kush region — jolted parts of the country last night.

The US Geological Survey said the quake rocked Afghanistan and parts of India as well, including the capital New Delhi, adding that the quake epicentre was 40 kilometres south-southeast of the Afghan town of Jurm.

As per PDMA reports, nine people lost lives and 44 were injured in different districts of the KP province in earthquake-related incidents. Operations were underway all over KP to rescue people while a state of emergency was declared in hospitals.

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Swat District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur told media that two people died in the district while 150 were injured, adding that they were moved to Saidu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

As per reports, a 13-year-old girl died when the wall of her house collapsed in Swat. Her dead body was shifted to a hospital and at least 120 people were brought to the Swat hospitals with wounds due to the quake.

In another incident, a young girl died due to fear of the earthquake in Narian in Abbottabad. The doctors said that the girl identified as Sanam Waheed suffered a heart attack due to which she died.

The roof of a house collapsed in Sheikh Jana Ahmad Khel village of Tehsil Rizar in Swabi district injuring at least four persons.

Similarly, at least a woman died and 23 other peoples were injured during the earthquake in Dir Lower.

According to reports gathered by MM News from multiple sources, five people including 2 women were injured in various incidents in Peshawar, one person injured in roof collapse in Swabi, one woman injured in Lower Dir Nursing Hostel, one woman injured in roof collapse in Chitral, one person injured in roof collapse in Buner and one person seriously injured in roof collapse in Mardan.

Officials have expressed apprehensions that the number of casualties could go up as they were still collecting information from far flung areas.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Health Services said that major government hospitals will remain on high alert in Islamabad, adding that the alert was issued to the hospitals on Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel’s direction.

The minister also directed the administration of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the Federal Government Polyclinic to ensure all necessary arrangements in this regard.