by Dawn
Islamabad: A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck major cities of Pakistan, including the northern areas, on Monday, leaving at least 52 dead and scores injured due to roof and building collapses.
The earthquake struck the country at 2:09pm today (Monday).
Forty minutes after the first earthquake, an aftershock of 4.8 magnitude was reported in the same area. Aftershocks are expected to continue in the affected areas.
The magnitude of today’s earthquake is close to the previous earthquake of 2005, but the destruction was more widespread then due to the shallow epicentre of the earthquake.
The earthquake in 2005 was at a depth of 26 km, while today’s earthquake was at a depth of 212.5 km, according to analyst Faheem Zaman.
Authorities in Peshawar have provided the following numbers for the victims:
091921302 and 091921138
52 dead across Pakistan
Atleast 18 people were killed in Peshawar city, according to PTI leader Mushtaq Ghani.
Eight people, including women and children, were killed in Swat, while four people were killed in the Bajaur tribal region after buildings collapsed in the area.
An eight-year-old child was killed in Kallar Kahar, whereas one casualty was also reported from Kasur after the roof of a house collapsed.
A 14-year-old child died in the Islamgarh area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Mirpur region after a school wall collapsed.
A wall collapsed in Sargodha, killing one woman and injuring 10 people, while three are injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
13 people were killed in Chitral, which is closest to the epicentre of the earthquake. A child has reportedly died a the roof of a house collapsed in Raja Bazaar area of Rawalpindi.
One child was killed after the wall of a school collapsed in Miani Adda area of Punjab’s Chakwal district. Three people will reported killed in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Several landslides have been reported in mountainous areas of the country, leading to fears that the death toll may increase.
Scores injured
At least 194 injured were brought to Swat’s Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, which does not have adequate medical facilities.
More than 100 wounded have been admitted to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital.
Tremors have been felt in major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Malakand.
Rescue 1122 has been put on high alert in Punjab. The disaster response force is on standby and a code red has been imposed, Director General Rescue Punjab Retd Brig Dr Ashraf Zia said. Rescue 1122 Spokesman Jam Sajjad said there were no reports of any deaths in Lahore.
Communication services have been disrupted in Islamabad, where walls swayed back and forth and people poured out of office buildings in a panic, reciting verses from the Holy Quran.
A building has also reportedly collapsed in Peshawar. Several mud huts collapsed in Balochistan’s Zhob district.
Citizens took to social media to post reports of the massive quake that lasted for up to one minute.
Tremors were also felt in Kabul and New Delhi.
The full extent of the damage and the number of possible casualties is not yet known.
7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured the quake’s intensity at 7.7 then revised it down to 7.6 and later to 7.5.
Vineet Gahlot, the director of seismology at the Indian Meteorological Department, said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and an epicentre deep in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Pakistan state TV reported the same magnitude.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department, however, said the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1.
The quake was 196km deep and centred 82km southeast of Feyzabad in a remote area of Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
According to USGS, the epicentre is 67km from Chitral.
Rescue operation
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies to declare an immediate alert and mobilise all resources to ensure the security of citizens of Pakistan. All agencies have been directed to move out with their resources.
The prime minister has contacted Governor KP and has directed him to mobilise tribal administration immediately for relief, rescue and damage assessment in the affected regions.
On the directions of the PM a crisis cell has also been formed to coordinate with all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies for damage assessment and rescue and relief efforts. The cell will work round the clock.
The premier has also directed Governor Gilgit Baltistan to immediately reach Gilgit and take charge of rescue and relief efforts in the region.
Joint Secretary Prime Minister Office Kazim Niaz will head crisis management cell at Prime Minister Office. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), respective Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Inter-Servies Publis Relations (ISPR) and Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) will be part of the crisis management cell.
President Mamnoon Hussain has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the natural calamity.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has directed army personnel to reach out where required to help affected people without waiting for orders.
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif is on his way to Peshawar, to personally supervise rescue and relief efforts.
EQ Update:Troops mobilised,all CMHs put on high alert,Specialised EQ rescue machinery put on alert,Army helis mobilised-3
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) October 26, 2015
EQ Update:in a snap conf,#COAS directed Army teams for quick assessment of earthquake damages across country spec remote areas.Teams left-2 — AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) October 26, 2015
Pakistan and the region, along an active continental plate boundary, is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake struck Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killing around 800 people. In 2005, the country was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.
Afghanistan and India
Afghanistan’s CEO Abdullah Abdullah said reports of damage and injuries were coming in from Afghanistan’s northeast.
According initial reports, 15 people have been killed in Afghanistan.
“Disasters authorities to meet within the hour and respond to the needs,“ he tweeted.
Traffic came to a stop in downtown Kabul, with people getting out of their cars as they waited for the quake to pass.
Afghan media reported the deaths of 21 people and 40 wounded.
As buildings shook throughout north India, hundreds of people poured onto the streets from office blocks, hospitals and homes, AFP reporters and TV footage showed.
Delhi’s metro ground to a halt during the tremor although the airport continued operating.
Heard about strong earthquake in Afghanistan-Pakistan region whose tremors have been felt in parts of India. I pray for everyone’s safety.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2015
I have asked for an urgent assessment and we stand ready for assistance where required, including Afghanistan & Pakistan.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2015
“All of around 190 trains plying on the tracks were stopped at the time of the earthquake. The lines and the trains are now being restored after basic inspection of respective lines,” Anuj Dayal, Delhi Metro spokesman told AFP.
Cell phone networks were down in the Kashmir region.
An Abbottabad resident, Shoaib, told Dawn.com the earthquake triggered landslides in the area.
My driver family house in Shangla destroyed just spoke to friends in Swat, there is a lot of damage in some area #earthquake
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 26, 2015
In pictures shared by Islamabad residents on Twitter, people are seen standing on roads after feeling tremors.
Earthquake tremors now in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/4x5XAfKHYy
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) October 26, 2015
Someone jumped from the next building in F11. Is seriously injured #earthquake
— Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi (@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi) October 26, 2015
Stronger than the 2005 #earthquake
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) October 26, 2015
Powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 jolts Lahore; evacuation of Arfa Technology Park. Hope everyone is safe. pic.twitter.com/rdwp39s7ul
— Umar Saif (@umarsaif) October 26, 2015
Longest and strongest earthquake I’ve ever felt in Kabul.
— Matthieu Aikins (@mattaikins) October 26, 2015
Range of earthquake was huge from Dir to Delhi. Anybody has any report of any casualties.From jolts it seemed epicentre close from Islamabad
— Amir Mateen (@AmirMateen2) October 26, 2015
Evacuated after Earthquake warning pic.twitter.com/tH5rB3MiQS
— Imran Ghazali (@ImranGhazaliPK) October 26, 2015