Magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Afghanistan
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
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Early yesterday afternoon local time, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan, Pakistan and North India, with its epicenter in the Hindu Kush mountain range which stretches from Afghanistan to North Pakistan, causing damage to life and buildings. A Wikinews correspondent felt the shock waves in Behror, Rajasthan at 2:50 PM IST (0920 UTC).
Hundreds of people died in this disaster. The death toll is highest in Pakistan. Pakistani officials yesterday afternoon declared over 145 people were found dead. United States Geological Survey reported the earthquake occurred at 212km depth due to reverse faulting. Twelve students died in the rush due to trembles, in an Afghani girls' school in Takhar, near Badakhshan. Two elderly women in Kashmir died due to heart attack. Some people in Pakistan died by crushing by roof collapse.
Image: USGS.
Indian states Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi National Capital Region were affected. Srinagar experienced a power cutoff after the earthquake.
During yesterday afternoon, Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi communicated with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, volunteering help. He also tweeted "Heard about strong earthquake in Afghanistan-Pakistan region whose tremors have been felt in parts of India. I pray for everyone's safety."
Yesterday evening, Pervez Rashid, Pakistani Information Minister, declared Pakistan would not ask for help for resources and rescue work and thanked India for offering help. "We have enough resources to handle the situation. Our top priority is to help those affected because of the earthquake".
As of earlier today, officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan came up with statistics of 237 deaths in Pakistan and a total rising to 311.
Almost a decade ago, this region suffered an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6.
Effects in Behror and nearby areas
A Wikinews correspondent reports the tremors were felt in Behror, Rajasthan at 2:50 PM IST. In the boys hostel on NIIT University, the students felt the vibrations of cupboards, tables and beds which lasted over a minute. Nobody was harmed because of the shock-waves, but many students came out of their rooms, asking others whether they felt the vibrations or not.
Our correspondent contacted other students in affected areas of India. According to one student the projectors used for delivering lectures in BITS Pilani university in Pilani, Rajasthan started shaking. The students asked the professor to cancel the lecture. A first year B. Tech student said he was in the library, listening to music, when suddenly everyone ran out. Later, when he got out of the library, he came to know it was an earthquake.
Students in ITM Gurgaon in Gurgaon, Haryana were asked to shelter themselves in an open space of the sports ground and return after few minutes. Many of the students left for their home.
Sister link
Realted news
"Strong earthquake hits Pakistan, north India, Afghanistan" — Wikinews, October 8, 2005
Sources
- "Death toll rises to 311 in quake-hit Pakistan, Afghanistan areas" — The Indian Express, October 27, 2015
- Indrani Basu. "Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan; Tremors Felt In Pakistan, Northern India" — The Huffington Post, October 26, 2015
- AP. "The Latest: UN Mobilizing to Aid Quake Victims" — ABC News (United States), October 26, 2015
