Accessibility links

Breaking News

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Southwest Pakistan


A local resident looks at his damaged house following a severe earthquake hit the area, in Harnai, about 100 kilometers from Quetta, Pakistan, Oct. 6, 2021.
A local resident looks at his damaged house following a severe earthquake hit the area, in Harnai, about 100 kilometers from Quetta, Pakistan, Oct. 6, 2021.

At least 20 people are dead and more than 200 injured after a strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck southwest Pakistan early Thursday morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was about 100 kilometers east of Quetta near the Afghan border, and was centered about 20 kilometers below the surface.

The coal-mining town of Harnai in Baluchistan province sustained the brunt of the earthquake. The quake caused as many as 100 mud houses to collapse, trapping many residents inside as they were sleeping. Television footage showed people running out of their houses in panic as buildings shook. Authorities say women and children were among the victims.

Officials said it would take hours to reach many of the hardest-hit areas in the coal mining region. The Pakistan military said its forces and helicopters were helping civilian authorities in carrying out the rescue efforts.

A massive power outage forced rescue workers to use flashlights to treat the injured at hospitals.

The powerful tremors triggered landslides at two places on the main highway linking Quetta to Harnai, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG