At least 150 killed as earthquake hits Pakistan's Ziarat valley

A strong earthquake jolted Balochistan early Wednesday killing over 150 people, injuring hundreds of others and destroying houses and government buildings, officials said.

The 6.5 magnitude tremor struck villages and small towns 45 miles north of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, around, 4:33 a.m., according to the state television.

The epicenter of the earthquake was about 400 miles southwest of Islamabad, with towns and villages in the Ziarat district appeared to be the worst hit area. The cities and towns struck by the tremor included Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Chaman, Loralai, Sibbi and Mastung, rural areas all lying close to Balochistan's border with Afghanistan.

The death toll could rise as rescue workers move into more remote villages. Hundreds of others had been injured in the tremor and perhaps 15,000 left homeless and in need of help.

Officials said that more than 150 dead bodies had been recovered so far and the government was providing food, shelter and medical care to those who survived the devastation.

Pakistan's army rushed its medical teams on helicopters into Khawas and other towns and villages, 25 doctors are busy providing first aid to the injured.

Balochistan's capital, Quetta, was spared the brunt of the force, but there were injuries.

"We were fast asleep at the time of quake and when awakened by the shocks we took no time to come out of our houses," said Wahidullah, a resident of Quetta.

Wednesday's earthquake was the deadliest since a magnitude 7.6 temblor struck Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and other northern regions on October 8, 2005, killing over 80 thousand people and injuring thousands of others.

Death toll caused by earthquake in Ziarat valley can cross a figure of 190 as rescue teams have rushed volunteers to some villages where dozens of people are buried under debris of collapsed houses, District Naib Nazim Ziarat Momin Khan Dummar told the official news agency.

“I personally visited Waam, Kann and other areas where 28 people of only two families had perished under debris” he said adding that reports coming from Killi Sra Kheizai “are dreadful where scores of inhabitants are still under debris”.

The nazim added that it was difficult to find out the real figure at this moment as most of the dead had already been buried by the locals.

Meanwhile, district nazim Pishin Molvi Kamalud Din visited Killi Khoshab in Khanozai which had been destroyed completely by the Wednesday morning earthquake.

In the meantime, medical teams of Pak Army, FC, Health Department continued treating the injured at Ziarat district hospital.

The army helicopters shifted 16 serious injured to the CMH Quetta and also rushed a dozen of volunteers to Killi Sra Kheizai for rescue and relief operations.

More tremors of the earthquake have been felt in Quetta, Sibbi and Noshki on Wednesday..

According to DG Met Office Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, these were the aftershocks which were recorded 4.4 at richter scale.

The aftershocks were felt up to Loralai and they were felt for 10 seconds in Chaman, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Saifullah, Toba Achakzai.

The tremors were also felt in Dera Murad Jamali, Zhob, Kacchi Bolan, Dhadar and Shoran.

The tremors have also been felt in various areas of Sindh, including Dadu, Jacobabad, Ghari Khairu, Shehdadkot and Larkana.

The US Geological Survey reported the intensity of these tremors at 6.1.

Meanwhile, health minister Sindh said that hospitals of Karachi have been put on red alert in view of the likely arrival of the earthquake wounded to Karachi.

On the other hand, sources reported that the earthquake caused landslides in Ziarat.

As many as 15,000 people have been displaced as a result of the earthquake that hit northern and central parts of Balochistan province, provincial minister for forests and wildlife Molvi Abdul Samad Akhundzada told a news conference here on Wednesday.

The minister said that district Ziarat was badly affected from the earthquake while people of other parts including Pashin, Zob, Qila Abdullah, Khanzoi and Khan Bangla also suffered huge loss of life and property.

Though it was difficult to find out the real figure of casualties at this moment, however as many as 150 deaths have been confirmed so far, plus we have reports about destruction of 1,500 houses, he added.

He said that Balochistan government was all out to support the affected families and provincial Chief Minister Aslam Raisani had reached the affected areas immediately after receiving the information.

“Army, FC and other state departments, besides some non-government relief agencies and political parties are engaged in assisting the affected families and top priority at the moment is rescue of people buried under debris,” Akhundzada informed.

He appealed the non-government organizations and general public to extend maximum possible help to the quake-hit people, adding that food, shelter, blankets and medicine were required on emergency basis.