A strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake in southwest Pakistan killed at least 23 people on Thursday morning, and the death toll is expected to grow as crews search through fallen structures.
The impact from the quake injured at least another 200 people and collapsed at least one coal mine and dozens of mud houses. At least four people died in the coal mine while performing work during the incident. As many as 100 homes collapsed while some residents were asleep inside, the Associated Press reported.
The epicenter of the quake was located roughly nine miles (15 kilometers) north-northeast of Harnai in Balochistan province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The ground began to shake at around 3 a.m. local time.
“So far, we have treated more than 200 casualties,” said Manzoor Ahmed, medical superintendent of the Harnai district hospital. The small rural facility saw as many as 15 bodies on Thursday and said its resources are being pushed to the limit.
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At least 20 people were killed and about 300 injured when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern Pakistan in the early hours as many of the victims were asleep, the Disaster Management Authority said https://t.co/FvdXyUgd8j pic.twitter.com/cskiVq7Kmy
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 7, 2021
The majority of the population in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan live within sunbaked mud houses in small villages, many of which collapsed due to the earthquake’s powerful force. The area is a seismically active region, according to the provincial disaster management authority.
Pakistan suffered its worst earthquake in 1935. The disaster destroyed the provincial capital of Balochistan and killed more than 35,000 people. The province is considered the country’s least populated, with just 12 million people.
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Pakistan is a country with 220 million people, 60% of whom live in the country’s eastern Punjab province.
