At least ten people died, including two children, and 62 were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an earthquake of 6.5 magnitudes, according to a report issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake with its epicentre in Afghanistan struck on Tuesday night, leaving at least ten people dead and 62 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said government officials, reported Dawn.
According to the report, ten homes had been destroyed while 55 others had only been partially destroyed.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.5-magnitude earthquake’s epicentre was 40 kilometres to the south-southeast of Jurm district in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan region, bordered by Pakistan and Tajikistan.
The USGS reported a magnitude of 6.5. However, the Pakistan Meteorological Agency reported a magnitude of 6.8.
The region is active seismologically due to its proximity to the Chamman fault and is a prone-disaster region.
Several earthquakes have occurred within the past three months in the region. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last year, killing over 1,000 people and injuring several others.
In January this year, two quakes jolted Islamabad with a 5.6 magnitude while a 5.6 magnitude struck Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
One of the most destructive earthquakes in Pakistan, with 7.6 magnitudes, hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2005, shaking Islamabad and Azad Kashmir; at least 79,000 people were killed, and more than 32,000 buildings collapsed in Kashmir. Further fatalities and destruction were also reported in Afghanistan and India.
The government of Pakistan has done nothing to protect its citizens from natural disasters. The administration begs other countries for money for the people’s welfare but instead spends it on terrorist activities. The administration has caused more disasters for the people than natural disasters.