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A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern Pakistan early Thursday morning. Authorities reported that so far 20 people have lost their lives and more than 200 have been injured.
Night came and almost everyone was asleep in Pakistan, when a strong earthquake woke up thousands of people living in different parts of the south-west of the country.
The powerful 5.7 magnitude earthquake destroyed more than 100 adobe houses and a large number were damaged, including government buildings. According to Sohail Anwar, deputy commissioner in Harnai city, many people were left homeless.
Naseer Nasir, director general of the Disaster Management Authority reported that some 20 people were found dead in the rubble and more than 200 were injured. Among the fatalities, the majority are women and children.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a depth of 20 kilometers, with an epicenter 102 kilometers east of the city of Quetta, near the border with Afghanistan.
The most affected area was the city of Harnai, where rescuers had problems entering due to the lack of paved roads, electricity and mobile coverage.
In images provided by the AP agency, dozens of people are seen on the streets of Harnai trying to communicate by phone with friends and family, while health workers set up stretchers outside to offer medical care outside a local hospital. .
Several people recorded the moment when the earth shook. In social networks, videos of houses shaking and lights swaying in the streets were published to the point of being in complete darkness.
In October 2015, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 400 people in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But even more deadly was the October 2005 7.6 magnitude earthquake that left more than 73,000 dead and some 3.5 million homeless.
With AP and Reuters
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