Renowned scientist and Assistant Professor at Geology Department of University of Balochistan, Deen Muhammad Kakar has said that Global Positioning System machine reports have suggested that an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude intensity and powerful like that of 1935 might hit Quetta city and adjoining areas.
He was talking to media persons here on Thursday. He said that GPS machines installed in areas including Quetta, Chaman, Saranan, Surkhab, Pishin, Ziarat, Shahrag, Harnai, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Lakpass, Kalat and Sorab have indicated that mountainous areas including Koh Sulman, Koh Kirthar, Quetta and northern areas are in 8 milli meter annual movement to South and due to this movement a great stress is being accumulated under soil. "Due to this great stress, chances of a 7.5 Magnitude earthquake at Richter Scale to hit Quetta have been emerged," the Scientist warned. He further said that Geology Department of University of Balochistan, Civil Engineering Department of NED University Karachi and Center of Excellence of Peshawar University were busy in compiling research reports with the help of GPS machines and other scientific equipments on emerging of possible and powerful earthquakes in future.
He said that presently population of Quetta has exceeded from 2.5 million while a large number of high-rise buildings and multi-story shopping centers have been erected in the city adding these buildings were built while fully violating 1935 Building Code Laws. He said that present official and non-official buildings would collapsed and caved in if an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude hit Quetta adding that then how these building would face 7.5 magnitude earthquake in future. He regretted that sub-standard material was used in construction of buildings in new populations around the old Quetta city which would collapse in a powerful tremor.
He said that another important aspect is that in case of a high magnitude earthquake, natural gas supply pipelines would burst causing eruption of a huge fire which would engulf the city. He further said that powerful earthquake would cause razing of high-rise buildings and due to which the roads and streets of the city would be closed while people would be buried under their debris. "How, you will remove rubble of these multi-story shopping centers while they have been constructed in narrow streets in bazaars of Quetta city where crane machines could not enter, he said. He observed there were no proper arrangements at government level in Quetta to deal with a disaster caused by a powerful earthquake." He said that other areas of Balochistan including Chaman, Harnai, Shahrag, Loralai, Noshki, Khuzdar and coastal belt of Makran would also face powerful tremors in future.
He advised people to keep items at their homes to deal with the situation caused by earthquake including dry food like pulses, grams, dry milk and water, torch, battery radio, first aid kit, fire extinguishing equipment and diary containing emergency phone numbers. He also advised citizens living in multi-story buildings not to try run outside of their flats immediately when earthquake jolts their building as saying the building might collapse within seconds and people trying to run out might buried under its debris.
He underlined the need that citizens of Quetta should launch a movement like that the movement in Karachi against construction of high-rise and multi-story buildings besides moving to courts against such construction.
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