Islamabad, september 11,2024 – A seismic wave or a not so friendly pollution or an alarming earth tremor or a hasty shake hit several areas of Pakistan today resulting in fear, loss of properties and several injuries. The quake that occurred at about 2. 30 PM local time was also felt in some major cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, Rawalpindi. Pakistan: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the earthquake that struck the region was of magnitude 6. At magnitude 5 on the Richter scale with the epicenter situated in the Hindukush part of Afghanistan and at about 180 km deep.
Widespread Tremors Felt
Frequently, earthquakes were reported in different regions of the country and due to the vibrations people ran out of their houses, offices, and schools. The have noted that structures moved in some big cities and it was not long coming that some of the structures had developed cracks. People of Islamabad said that the vibrations lasted for nearly 30 seconds and the incident led to a feeling of hysteria among the citizens and normal business and life processes got interrupted.
“I was in my office when the whole things began to shake, we had to come outside and people were in utter shock, and I could really describe it as a very scary moment,” another survivor, Bilal Ahmed of Islamabad.
The same was true in Lahore where citizens moved to the residential buildings’ rooftops to avert the risk of being trapped in case of structure collapses. Major city hospitals were placed on stand-by for cases of people who may be trapped in structures that could collapse due to the quake, or trampled on in stampede like incidents.
First-Of-The-Scene Account
We have not been privileged to report deaths but local authorities said that some people were injured in some regions. A few structures were partially damages in Peshawar while several people were rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
Efforts in the category of rescue and relief works were immediately put in motion by local authorities. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has appealed to the people to remain composed, refrain from using lifts and being conscious of subsequent earthquakes. Now to address the most sensitive issue that is the fact that the Pakistan Army save units have been put on alert in case a rescue mission is required in the worst scenario.
.Pakistan again lies on a seismoactiv area and has continuously witnessed devastating earth quakes and risk of aftershocks. There are tectonic movements that cause frequent seismic activities and the Hindukush region situated near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border termed as active seismic zone. Kashmir earthquake, occurred in 2005, was one of the severest in this region, with more than eighty thousand people killed, and great many infrastructures destroyed. It is said that there can be more aftershocks which is why people should be careful. ‘After-shocks are quite frequent after the kind og-earthquake like this and people should refrain from occupying unsafe buildings for the next few days’, Opined Dr. Amjad Ali, a seismologist with the PMD. Government Response On the part of government, the Prime Minister reacting to the earthquake called upon the concerned departments to remain alert of the situation. He also stressed on the measures that should be taken to avoid the attack, and encouraged everyone to obey the rules given to the civilians by the authorities.
In response to potential emergencies, the PMD and the NDMA have informed the public that emergency response is on high alert and engage the local governments in the assessment of the damages. This has led to the setting up of incident reporting phone numbers and people have been encouraged to listen and follow only official information on the same. At the moment, Pakistan is on a standby as the authorities try to estimate the total damage. We shall therefore expect further updates in the event that new information will be revealed in future.