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7.6 quake rocks Indian subcontinent, epicenter in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit Pakistan, about 60 kilometers northeast of the capital Islamabad in the early hours of the morning here today.
The reverberations of the quake were felt north of the Indian subcontinent as well as Afghanistan. "We have reports of dozens of people being killed in Kashmir, Mansehra and other parts of northern Pakistan," a senior government official confirmed adding that dozens were already reported killed.
The toll could rise as many people as feared trapped underneath the rubble. "Deaths have been reported from several towns and villages in Mansehra, from Rawlakot, Bagh and Muzaffarabad districts in Kashmir, and some cities in central Pakistan," the official said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that the epicenter of the quake was about 60 kilometers northeast of the Pakistani capital. Reports of several aftershocks have also reached here as the Army has been called out to conduct a massive relief operation.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 50 people including Army jawans have been reported killed as buildings collapsed when the quake stuck at 0925 a.m IST. 80 people are reported to be injured in Baramulla district, but the heavily populated areas appear to have been spared.
The Indian government has activated the Disaster Management Team to monitor the rescue and relief operations in Chandigarh. Meanwhile, a quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale has been reported in Indonesia near the epicenter of the December tsunami. Any other details were not available at the time of going to press.
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Written
by :
Waddah Yaman | Published on :
07:27:00
EST
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 |
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