Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Strong earthquake hits Pakistan


A earthquake of magnitude 6.2 has hit Balochistan province in south-western Pakistan, with at least 27 people reported dead.

It struck 70km (45 miles) north of Quetta at 0409 local time (2309GMT Tuesday) at a depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey said.

Dilawar Khan, mayor of the town of Ziarat, said two areas in his district had been "badly hit".

Deaths have also been reported in Pishin district.

Local officials quoted by Reuters news agency said that 40 people had received treatment for minor injuries, mostly caused when mud walls collapsed or in the ensuing panic.

Mr Khan said that 14 people had been killed in one area of Ziarat, and 11 in another, with two deaths reported in Pishin.

"There were two tremors, the second one was serious and people rushed out of their houses," said Amjad Hussain, a resident of Quetta.

Quetta itself suffered almost complete destruction with the dead of about 30,000 in an earthquake in 1935.

And we'll be the first with aid

No comments: