Twenty killed, over 300 injured in Harnai earthquake

Quetta (HRNW) As many as 20 people were killed after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Balochistan at around 3am Thursday.

Epicentre of the earthquake was near Harnai, Balochistan and its depth was 15km, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said.

Tremors were also felt in other parts of the province, including Quetta, Pishin, Sibi, Muslimbagh, Killa Abdullah Sanjavi, Zhob and Chaman.

PDMA said that rescue teams and heavy machinery have been sent from Quetta.

Levies Force’s rescue teams have also been dispatched for Harnai.

The severely injured will be shifted to Quetta for treatment, DC Harnai said.

Temporary tents have been set up for people whose houses have been damaged, said DC Harnai.

“We are receiving information that 20 people have been killed due to the earthquake,” said Balochistan’s home minister Mir Zia ullah Langau.

A woman and six children were among 20 dead, Suhail Anwar Hashmi, a senior provincial government official in Harnai told AFP, adding that “more than 200 people have been injured”.

“There are reports that some 15 coal miners are trapped in a mine on the outskirts of the town due to the quake,” he added.

It is common in Pakistan for miners to work at night when temperatures are cooler.

A rescue team was being sent to the mine, while helicopters were due to be dispatched to support the rescue effort and evacuate the injured.

Naseer Nasar, the head of Balochistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority, warned that the toll may rise.