At least one killed, several injured as earthquake jolts Pakistan
6.1 quake struck Hindukush region of Afghanistan, struck at a depth of 178km: USGS
January 31, 2018
An intense earthquake was felt across Pakistan and the region on Wednesday.
Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Lasbela, Sargodha, Gujranwala along with several other cities and towns in the country.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.1 magnitude earthquake with an epicentre south of Jarm in Afghanistan had an estimated depth of 191.2km.
National Seismic Monitoring Centre Director Zahid Rafi told Geo News that Pakistan experienced two earthquakes on Wednesday.
“The first earthquake of 4.9 magnitude struck Balochistan’s Bela town at 10am,” Rafi said, adding that “the second earthquake’s tremors were felt in Pakistan at 12:07pm.”
Meanwhile, Met Dept DG Ghulam Rasool said the Balochistan earthquake struck at a depth of 29km. Rasool added that the Afghanistan earthquake measured at 6.2.
A minor girl was killed and nine others injured in Bela, a town located in Lasbela, Balochistan when the roof of a house collapsed, said police and hospital officials. These causalities were likely caused by the earthquake which struck Balochistan around 10am.
According to reports, at least ten people were injured in Khyber Pakhtuhwa in earthquake-related incidents.
Panicked residents of affected cities and towns rushed out of their homes and offices when the tremors struck around noon.
In the federal capital, state buildings including the Supreme Court and Parliament were also evacuated.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar who was hearing a case at the time of the earthquake, remarked that people should remain calm as the tremors would subside.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, frightened residents ran out of homes and shops following the tremor in Kabul.
Tremors were also felt in India.
The epicentre was near Afghanistan's Jarm, which was hit by a devastating 7.5 magnitude quake in October 2015 that triggered landslides and flattened buildings, killing more than 380 people across the region. The bulk of the recorded casualties were in Pakistan, where 248 people were killed, including 202 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and more than 1,600 injured.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
People, some confused and others scared, took to social media to report their experiences:
Twitter users in India also shared reports of jolts:
