QUETTA: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 hit Harnai, Balochistan in the early hours of Thursday, killing 20 people, most of them women and children, and injuring about 300, at a time when many victims were asleep, authorities said.
The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of about 20 km (12 miles), with its epicentre 102 km (62 miles) east of the city of Quetta, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
"I was sleeping when suddenly my entire house jolted," Munir Shah, 40, a resident of Harnai district, told Reuters by telephone.
"I took my children and wife outside. It was a terrifying situation as houses in Harnai were collapsing, my house was also damaged," he added.
At least 20 killed, over 300 injured as earthquake jolts parts of Balochistan
"I found a large number of people under debris. Some of them might have died."
More than 100 mud houses collapsed and many buildings were damaged, said district official Sohail Anwar. Television images showed buildings with gaping cracks, caved-in roofs and crumpled walls.
About 250 homes collapsed and many people were killed by falling roofs and crumbling walls in the district's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood, said Nawab Khan, a local journalist.
"The entire town is a picture of devastation, as no house looks safe, thousands of people are rendered homeless and are under open sky," Khan said, adding that almost 70% of power supply to the district had been disrupted.
Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered immediate assessment of the damages and offered condolences to families that lost loved ones, adding, "I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis ... for the earthquake victims."
Social media showed houses shaking and light fittings swaying as the quake struck. Stunned residents later gathered in the streets in the dark. Rescuers sifted rubble for survivors, with some of the injured being treated on stretchers in the street by torchlight from mobile telephones.
"The earthquake struck at about 3 a.m.," said one resident, Muzaffar Khan Tareen, adding that some of the seriously injured were in hospital awaiting ambulances to take them to Quetta.
An army helicopter flew at least nine of the seriously injured to Quetta, Associated Press Pakistan said.
Aftershocks were being felt across the region. Pakistan sits on top of colliding tectonic plates and earthquakes are common.-Reuters
INP adds: Aftershocks are still being felt in different areas after the quake. The earliest tremors were felt at 3:20am after which panicked citizens rushed out of their houses, reciting kalima and verses from the Holy Quran. Relief and rescue activities are underway in the affected areas with an emergency declared in all hospitals.
The worst-affected area was the remote mountainous city of Harnai, where a lack of paved roads, electricity and mobile phone coverage hampered rescuers. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), most of the deceased are children.
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.
More than 100 mud houses collapsed and a large number were damaged, including government buildings.
The death toll is feared to rise. A medical emergency has been declared at the Civil Hospital Quetta where doctors and other paramedical staff have been recalled on an emergency basis, the MS of the hospital said.
The injured were rushed to hospital, while some were treated on stretchers in the street under phone torch light.
The Balochistan (North) IGFC has also reached Harnai to assess the damage, while an urban search and rescue team is being flown from Rawalpindi to speed up and assist in rescue activities.
According to deputy commissioner of Harnai, Sohail Anwar Hashmi, several people have been rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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