The 5.9 magnitude quake in a remote area of the country’s southwest collapsed a coal mine and as many as 100 homes, burying sleeping residents inside.
Kabar Medsos – A powerful earthquake collapsed at least one coal mine and many flimsy mud houses in southwest Pakistan early Thursday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 200, an official said.
The death toll was expected to rise as crews searched in the remote mountainous area, said Suhail Anwar Shaheen, the local deputy commissioner.
At least four of the dead were killed when the coal mine in which they were working collapsed, said Shaheen, citing coal miners in the area. As many as 100 homes also collapsed, burying sleeping residents inside.
The epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude quake was about 14 kilometers (8 miles) north-northeast of Harnai in Baluchistan province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The initial measurement of the quake’s strength was 5.7 magnitude. It struck about 20 kilometers (12 miles) below the Earth’s surface; shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
The area, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Quetta, the provincial capital, is dotted with coal mines, which has Shaheen worried the death toll could rise. It struck in the early morning while scores of miners were already at work, he said.
Most of the population in the area live in sunbaked mud houses, many of which collapsed. Rescue efforts were underway, but Shaheen said it would take hours just to reach many of the hardest-hit areas.
Local TV channels showed residents wrapped in blankets sitting on the side of the road waiting for the aftershocks to subside and help to arrive.
The area is remote and already the autumn nighttime temperatures are chilly.
Gempa berkekuatan 5,9 di daerah terpencil di barat daya negara itu meruntuhkan tambang batu bara dan sebanyak 100 rumah, mengubur penduduk yang sedang tidur di dalamnya.
Kabar Medsos – Gempa kuat meruntuhkan setidaknya satu tambang batu bara dan banyak rumah lumpur tipis di barat daya Pakistan Kamis pagi, menewaskan sedikitnya 20 orang dan melukai lebih dari 200, kata seorang pejabat.
Korban tewas diperkirakan akan meningkat ketika kru mencari di daerah pegunungan terpencil, kata Suhail Anwar Shaheen, wakil komisaris setempat.
Sedikitnya empat orang tewas ketika tambang batu bara tempat mereka bekerja runtuh, kata Shaheen, mengutip para penambang batu bara di daerah itu. Sebanyak 100 rumah juga runtuh, mengubur penduduk yang sedang tidur di dalamnya.
Pusat gempa berkekuatan 5,9 itu sekitar 14 kilometer (8 mil) utara-timur laut Harnai di provinsi Baluchistan, menurut Survei Geologi AS. Pengukuran awal kekuatan gempa adalah 5,7 magnitudo. Itu melanda sekitar 20 kilometer (12 mil) di bawah permukaan bumi; gempa yang lebih dangkal cenderung menyebabkan lebih banyak kerusakan.
Daerah itu, sekitar 100 kilometer (60 mil) dari Quetta, ibu kota provinsi, dipenuhi dengan tambang batu bara, yang membuat Shaheen khawatir jumlah korban tewas bisa meningkat. Itu terjadi di pagi hari ketika sejumlah penambang sudah bekerja, katanya.
Sebagian besar penduduk di daerah itu tinggal di rumah-rumah lumpur yang terbakar matahari, banyak di antaranya runtuh. Upaya penyelamatan sedang dilakukan, tetapi Shaheen mengatakan akan memakan waktu berjam-jam hanya untuk mencapai banyak daerah yang paling parah dilanda.
Saluran TV lokal menunjukkan warga yang terbungkus selimut duduk di pinggir jalan menunggu gempa susulan mereda dan bantuan datang.
Daerah ini terpencil dan suhu malam musim gugur sudah mulai dingin.
