At least nine people died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and more than 40 sustained injuries as a 6.5-magnitude quake jolted several cities of the country, on Tuesday.
Besides the federal capital, tremors were felt in Peshawar, Skardu, Lahore, Charsadda, Multan, Rawalpindi and other parts of Pakistan.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the quake had a 180-kilometre depth with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush region.
The International Seismological Centre said tremors were also felt in Turkmenistan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Also, US Geological Survey said the quake rocked Afghanistan and parts of India too, and marked its epicentre at 40 kilometres south-southeast of the Afghan town of Jurm.
An earthquake originated on 21-03-2023 at 21:47 PST
Mag: 6.8
Depth: 180 km
Lat: 36.51 N
Long: 70.96 E
Epicentre: Hindukush Region, Afghanistan.
#Earthquake— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) March 21, 2023
Panicked people came out of there houses after the buildings were shaken by the massive tremors. The eyewitnesses said the tremors lasted for 30 seconds. Here are some of the videos posted online:
Another Video- Massive damage report to building in the part of #Islamabad #Pakistan. 7.7 Magnitude #earthquake
Effected Cities Rawalpindi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faislabad, Chakwal, Taxila and others
Stay Safe Everyone. Astaghfirullah#earthquake #earthquakes #زلزله #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/4T1AEKx2Fd— Qaiser Abbas (@Qaiser_Abas) March 21, 2023
EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE of Extreme 7.7 magnitude #Earthquake in Lahore few moments ago..!! pic.twitter.com/xgdgFtsSER
— Ali Trimzi (@AlySyyed) March 21, 2023
7.7 magnitude earthquake in lahore! Outside hafeez centre#Earthquakeinlahore#earthquake #ZamanPark pic.twitter.com/f8WfqqInLM
— Ahmad Saeed (@sa02503263) March 21, 2023
Patients life first then her own safety.
Noble profession.
See how everyone around the table are more concerned about patients life,#earthquake pic.twitter.com/ZWcv4aHW4r— MIR ASHFAQ (@AshuMir6) March 21, 2023
A local Pashto TV channel Mahshriq TV during the earthquake. Brave of the anchor to keep his calm. But shows the impact of the earthquake. #Peshawar #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/7h3FOxBvtF
— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) March 21, 2023
All of the deaths were reported from KP, specifically from Swabi, Buner, Lower Dir, Mardan, and Chitral.
A Rescue 1122 KP spokesperson said that in Swat, most people required medical aid due to fear, trauma, and blood pressure issues. In all other areas, injuries were caused by wall or roof collapse.
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He added that the Rescue 1122 deployed paramedics to the hospitals in the district to cater to the staff reinforcement needs.
‘Be ready for an emergency’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other departments concerned to be ready to deal with any emergency.
The premier sent out his wishes for wellbeing of the people around the country, and prayed for them to be safe from every calamity.
Hospitals on alert
The hospitals in Islamabad have been put on high alert in Islamabad on the directives of Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel.
The minister also directed the administration of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Polyclinic to ensure all necessary steps to provide prompt treatment to any persons injured in the quake.
