Rumbled at nature’s behest: Strong 6 magnitude earthquake strikes POJK; people assert it as ‘Scariest 10 seconds’

24 Sep 2019 19:44:42

New Delhi, September 24: Thrilling and petrifying, the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir witnessed the scariest ten seconds when the tremors of earthquake struck the region Mirpur. The epicentre of the earthquake, the tremors of which were felt in Delhi and other parts of National Capital Region (NCR), was in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) near the mountainous city of Jhelum.

 

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, a woman was killed and more than 50 people, including children, were injured when a strong 6 magnitude earthquake struck the Pakistan-India border region at about 4.31 pm on Tuesday. The tremors were felt across Pakistan and parts of northern India. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes and offices in Delhi and other north Indian cities.

According to the Pakistan media report, an eye witness said that in Islamabad, the tremors shook buildings and people could be seen rushing out to the streets. “It lasted for 8-10 seconds but it was very scary.” Pakistan’s chief meteorologist Muhammad Riaz told the media that the earthquake was 10 kilometres deep and was felt in most of Punjab province, some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The worst hit was Mirpur,” he said. TV channels showed the footage of heavily damaged roads in Mirpur, with many vehicles overturned.

Authorities in Pakistan are still trying to find out the damage caused by the quake. Major General Asif Ghafoor, a spokesman for the Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted that army troops with aviation and medical support teams were dispatched.

The earthquake jolted several parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Lahore. As per eyewitnesses, the earthquake was quite powerful that it created panic among the citizens. Pakistan media reported that a building collapsed during the earthquake, following which 50 people, including women and children, were shifted to a hospital in Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As per reports, the tremors were felt in Pakistan for 8-10 seconds but were felt strongly in major cities of Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Pakistan's Meteorological Department said the epicentre of the quake was located near the mountainous city of Jehlum in the Punjab province. The tremors shook walls in Islamabad and left people standing in the streets outside. There are also reports of damage to roads and buildings from Mirpur and other areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

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