QUETTA – An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter Scale jolted a number of towns across Balochistan, including the provincial capital, in the wee hours of Wednesday, damaging around 200 mud-houses and shops in Dalbandin.
The Met Office said tremors were felt at 2:23am and the epicenter of the earthquake was located around 50 kilometeres west of the town of Dalbandin, headquarters of Chaghai district.
The tremors were also felt in Quetta, Mastung, Khuzdar, Kalat, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Kharan, Zhob, Loralai and other parts of the province.
The shock waves sent a wave of panic among the people who rushed out of their homes despite the chilling cold.
A resident of Quetta, identified as Razia Bibi, died of a heart attack due to the earthquake. Quetta Commissioner Naseem Ahmad Lahri told reporters that around 200 houses, shops and a mosque were partially damaged in Dalbandin.
He said a detailed report from officials in Chaghai was yet to be received.
Lahri said blankets and tents had been dispatched to Dalbandin for around 200 families, and more relief items would be sent if required.
