MAGNITUDE 6.5 QUAKE JOLTS AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN AND INDIA

Tue 21 March 2023:

A strong earthquake has struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. According to the US Geological Survey, the centre of the magnitude 6.5 quake, was located 40km Southeast of Jurm, in Afghanistan’s Hindukush region.

Accroding to the Pakistan’s meteorological office, the earthquake was a magnitude 7.7 and was felt in the capital Islamabad and across other parts of the country.

A strong #earthquake has struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. According to the US Geological Survey, the centre of the magnitude 6.5 quake, was located 40km Southeast of Jurm, in #Afghanistan Hindukush region. pic.twitter.com/EeyPzpqXq2

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) March 21, 2023

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asks disaster management officials to stay alert

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked the country’s disaster management officials to remain vigilant in the aftermath of the earthquake.

“The prime minister has directed to the National Disaster Management Authority and other related institutions to be ready to deal with any emergency situation,” Pakistan’s state-run media said in a tweet.

Strong tremors felt in northeastern Afghanistan

Authorities and aid workers said very strong shaking was felt in the northeastern Badakhshan province and across other northern areas. A spokesperson for Red Cross said they had no immediate reports of damages from Badakhshan’s capital but were making checks on other areas.

Mahzudeen Ahmadi, the head of Badakhshan’s information department said they were also checking the province for any casualties, but had no reports yet.

“We felt a strong earthquake, according to primary information the main place (affected) was Yamgan District,” he told Reuters news agency.

No casualties reported, health centres on high alert: Afghan govt spokesman

According Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, there have been no reports of casualties in the country, which was the epicentre of the quake.

“So far, thank God, there has been no bad news of casualties. We hope that all citizens of the country are safe,” he tweeted.

He said health centres across the country had been put on high alert.

مراکز صحی در ولایات در امر آماده باش باشند.
در پی وقوع #زلزله شدید در کشور، ذبیح الله مجاهد، سخنگوی امارت اسلامی افغانستان به نقل از وزارت صحت عامه نگاشته است که به همه روسای صحت عامه در ولایات هدایت داده شده است تا مراکز صحی تحت کنترول شان در امر آماده باش باشند. pic.twitter.com/p3Gw9wuXUk

— Bakhtar News Agency (@BakhtarNA) March 21, 2023