KASHMIR: At least four people have died and 100 others injured after jolts of earthquake, measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, were felt in different parts of the country.
Several houses and trees have collapsed, with most of the catastrophe affecting the rural areas of Azad Kashmir. Emergency has been declared in nearby hospitals of the affected areas. There are also reports of caving in of a building in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.
At least 50 people were wounded near Jatlan area of Kashmir, who were immediately rushed to hospital. The local administrations have requested people to donate blood for the injured.
According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre Islamabad, epicenter of the earthquake was five kilometer north of Jehlum, while its depth was recorded as 10 kilometers. The low depth of the earthquake made this more frightening.
The tremors were felt in Islamabad, Daska, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Chiniot, Mansehra, Batagram, Torghar, Mirpur (Azad Kashmir), Bhimber, Jehlum, and Mandi Bahauddin.
Spokesperson of armed forces, Director General Inter Services Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa had directed immediate rescue operation in aid of civil administration for victims of earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He said army troops with aviation and medical support teams were dispatched.
Communication and road networks have been disrupted in multiple areas.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued rain/flood/thunderstorm warning across Pakistan from Wednesday (25th Sept 2019) to Tuesday (1st Oct, 2019).
