At least a dozen people died and more than a hundred injured in Islamabad as ten-story Margalla Tower caved in following an earthquake of 7.6 on the Richter scale. The first most powerful jolt was felt at about 8:55 early in the morning which continued for more than two minuets.
A series of other normal jolts were felt till 5pm which spread panic among residents of the capital and compelled them to sit in the open far from homes the whole day, fearing of more aftershocks.
The overall atmosphere of the city was very sensitive as people were rushing toward schools and colleges to pick their kids, while offices and business were totally closed down.
Thousands of people of twin cities rushed toward sector F-10 area where two 10-story blocks of Margalla Towers collapsed.
According to hospital sources, around a dozen people died including two Japanese and one Syrian, while hundreds of people are still under heavy debris.
Dead bodies and seriously injured are being shifted to Pims and minor injured people are being sent to other hospitals including Polyclinic, CDA and Al-Shifa hospitals, where emergency has been declared by the ICT administration.
Pims, Red Crescent and Edhi Trust have sent a number of teams to the spot and set up their camps outside damaged building, where blood donation and first aid services are being given to injured persons.
People from all walks of life are also seen participating in relief efforts.
Almost eight army, navy, Edhi rescuers, Pakistan Red-Crescent and other volunteers are actively taking part in the rescue operation to remove heavy debris in an efforts to save lives of hundreds of trapped residents.
President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, interior minister Aftab Sherpao, state minister for interior Senator Shahzad Wasim, religious affairs minister Mohammad Ejazul Haq and a number of ministers visited the site of collapsed building in F-10 Islamabad.
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