QUETTA: At least 33 locals have lost their lives and 54 persons got severe injuries due to massive destruction in Awaran district and connected areas of Pakistan’s Balochistan province following earthquake on Tuesday (today).
Several homes were completely demolished in the sub-areas of the Awaran especially Labaaj due to 7.8 magnitude quake on richter scale which resulted large number of casualties, district administration sources told The News Tribe (TNT) representative.
Three dead bodies has been recovered from the debris of a house in Turbat including a woman and two girls which were shifted to the district’s hospital.
Later, Prime Minister of Pakistan has directed federal minister Abdul Qadir Baloch to immediately visit the affected area.
Separately, ISPR spokes person said that Khuzdar was declared as a base comp for rescue operation in Awaran. He said more than 300 army personnel started a rescue operation in the affected area.
Deputy Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, Abdul Quddus Bazanju said that death toll reaches up to 150 in Awaran district of the province as 90% area of the villages have been demolished.
The speaker added that the provincial government is sending tents and doctors teams to the affected areas.
The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, has imposed emergency across the province after observing severe consequences of powerful quake occurred this evening.
An island emerged off Gwadar coast after a powerful the earthquake. According to DIG Gwadar Moazzam Jah, the island’s altitude is 20 to 40 feet and width around 100 feet.
DIG said that the island emerged at a distance of 350 feet in the sea from the Gwadar coast.
Earlier, according to district official, several persons are trapped under the rubble in several tribal parts of Balochistan.
Rescue teams have started their operation in the affected areas and shifting the victims to the nearby hospitals while security officials are also coordinating the workers.
According to US Geological Survey, the magnitude of earthquake in Pakistani areas is 7.8 on Richter Scale.
The local met department said that the epicenter of the quake was 120 km distant from south-east district of Khuzdaar of Pakistan’s Balochistan province while its depth is 10 km inside the land.
Chief Metrologist of Pakistan Dr. Tauseef said that after shocks would continue to hit the same belt.
According to the reports, the aftershocks were being continued in late nights on Tuesday.
Earthquake-hit Sindh Areas:
Karachi, Hyderabad, Nawab Shah, Larkana, Dadu, Thatta, Shikarpur, Rasool Abad, Khairpur
Earthquake-hit Balochistan Areas:
Khuzdar, Gwadar, Sibbi, Qallat, Kharaan, Mastung, Dalbandin, Bolan, Dera Murad Jamali, Naseer Abad, Jaffar Abad, Awaran, Turbat
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