Latest: 13 dead after earthquake hits Afghanistan, Pakistan
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, with tremors felt as far away as India’s capital, New Delhi.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the earthquake that struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and India on Tuesday, March 21.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the earthquake that struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and India on Tuesday, March 21.
- A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, and tremors are felt as far away as India.
- The quake epicentre is 40km (25 miles) south-southeast of the Afghan town of Jurm, near the borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan, according to the United States Geological Survey.
- Rescue officials say at least 13 people were killed and more than 90 injured in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Disaster management authorities are evacuating buildings damaged by the quake in Pakistan’s major cities.
Earthquake triggers trauma of 2005 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Residents of Pakistan-administered Kashmir say the earthquake started moderately but grew in intensity, prompting them to rush out of their houses.
“We noticed subtle movement initially, which was followed by stronger shaking and a weird, sharp noise,” Mirza Aurangzeb Saifullah, a resident of Pakistani-administered Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad, told Al Jazeera.
Saifullah said he rushed out of the house and found people on the street chanting prayers loudly.
“That sound triggered the trauma of the 2005 earthquake. I was terrified that the sound will increase, the jolts will keep coming back stronger and longer, but God was merciful. The jolts stopped soon,” Saifullah said.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country’s northwest in 2005 left at least 47,000 people dead.
At least 302 people injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
At least 302 people have been injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, rescue officials tell Al Jazeera.
Hospitals in the Swat Valley treated at least 250 patients, of whom 15 suffered minor injuries and more than 200 were unconscious.
Fifty-two people were injured in other parts of the province, officials said.
Damaged buildings evacuated in large Pakistani cities
Several high-rise buildings in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar have developed cracks due to the earthquake, prompting evacuation orders, according to national and provincial disaster management authorities in Pakistan.
Teams have been sent to ensure evacuations in Rawalpindi, and authorities have been directed to carry out a survey of high-rise buildings across the province, a spokesman for Punjab’s Disaster Management Authority told the Anadolu news agency.
No casualties have been reported from the province so far, he said.
A spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Disaster Management Authority said that several mudbrick homes have collapsed in remote areas of the province.
“We are still collecting data about the damages,” Taimoor Khan told the AP.
Two dead in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, rescue officials say
Two people, including a child, have died in the earthquake in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, rescue officials tell Al Jazeera.
“A 10-year-old girl in Swat, and a 24-year-old man in Lower Dir died when the walls of their houses collapsed,” Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 service in the north-western province told Al Jazeera.
According to Faizi, landslides have caused damage in Swat district, 180km (112 miles) northwest of Islamabad.
“Over 20 buildings have suffered damage due to the jolts, and scores of people have been injured,” he said.
Panicked Kashmir residents recall Turkey, Syria earthquake
Residents in Indian-administered Kashmir rushed out of their houses as strong tremors were felt in the region. Panic and fear struck them as they recalled last month’s devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
“We were sitting in our home when we saw everything around us shaking. Initially, it was not very powerful but when we rushed outside we saw everyone in the street crying,” Muhammad Yasin, a resident of the main city of Srinagar, told Al Jazeera.
“The images of the devastation from Turkey and Syria are still fresh [in our eyes]. For a moment, we felt it is the end of our world,” he said.
There are no reports of damage or loss of life in the region.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asks disaster management officials to stay alert
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked the country’s disaster management officials to remain vigilant in the aftermath of the earthquake.
“The prime minister has directed to the National Disaster Management Authority and other related institutions to be ready to deal with any emergency situation,” Pakistan’s state-run media said in a tweet.
وزیراعظم کی نیشنل ڈیزاسٹر مینجمنٹ اتھارٹی اور دیگر متعلقہ اداروں کو کسی بھی نا گہانی صورت حال سے نمٹنے کے لیے تیار رہنے کی ہدایت pic.twitter.com/lemrPiOfEJ
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) March 21, 2023
Magnitude 3.7 aftershock: Pakistan Met Department
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has reported magnitude 3.7 aftershocks in the Hindu Kush region along the country’s border with Afghanistan.
EarthQuake AfterShocks
Date : 21/03/2023
Time: 22:43:18
Region: Hindukush Region, Afghanistan
Magnitude:3.7
Depth (km): 156
Latitude: 36.50 N
Longitude: 70.96 E#earthquake pic.twitter.com/kv8hsfClQ9— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) March 21, 2023
Strong tremors felt in northeastern Afghanistan
Authorities and aid workers said very strong shaking was felt in the northeastern Badakhshan province and across other northern areas. A spokesperson for Red Cross said they had no immediate reports of damages from Badakhshan’s capital but were making checks on other areas.
Mahzudeen Ahmadi, the head of Badakhshan’s information department said they were also checking the province for any casualties, but had no reports yet.
“We felt a strong earthquake, according to primary information the main place [affected] was Yamgan District,” he told the Reuters news agency.
No casualties reported, health centres on high alert: Afghan gov’t spokesman
According to government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, no casualties have been reported in Afghanistan, where the epicentre of the quake was located.
“So far, thank God, there has been no bad news of casualties. We hope that all citizens of the country are safe,” he tweeted.
He said health centres across the country have been put on high alert.
Tremors felt in cities across Pakistan
Tremors were felt in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, as well as Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Sargodha, Mianwali, Peshawar, Kohat, Swat, Chitral, Dir, Shangla and other districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, according to local media reports.
The quake was also felt in Mirpur, Kotli and other districts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
It also shook parts of India-administered Kashmir and was felt in northern India, including the capital, New Delhi.
‘House was vibrating,’ Islamabad resident says
Sarah Hasan, a resident of Islamabad, tells Al Jazeera that the walls of her house vibrated as the earthquake hit the Pakistani capital.
“It started off slowly and then became strong,” the 43-year-old said. “The house was vibrating, things were shaking. It started slowing down, and after a few minutes, it felt like everything is calm again.”
Quake epicentre was Jurm in Afghanistan: USGS
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.5 – 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan https://t.co/wxZ5D1GFQs
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) March 21, 2023
Quake felt across Pakistan, Afghanistan
A strong earthquake has struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. The US Geological Survey says the epicentre of the magnitude 6.5 quake was located 40km (25 miles) south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan’s Hindukush region.
Pakistan’s meteorological office measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.8. It was felt in the capital, Islamabad, and across other parts of the country.
There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.