Skip linksSkip to Content
play
Live
Navigation menu
  • News
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Explained
  • Opinion
  • Sport
  • Video
    • Features
    • Economy
    • Human Rights
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Podcasts
play
Live

In Pictures

Gallery|In Pictures

Pakistan quake kills several, injures hundreds

At least 20 people killed and more than 200 injured when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake strikes southwestern Pakistan.

Rescue workers and residents stand amid the rubble of a damaged house following the earthquake in Harnai. [Naseer Ahmed/Reuters]
Published On 7 Oct 20217 Oct 2021
facebooktwitterwhatsappcopylink

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 200 injured when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of Thursday as people slept, the Disaster Management Authority said.

Rescue workers said most of those killed were women and children.

The earthquake struck at the relatively shallow depth of 20 km (12 miles) with an epicentre 102 km (62 miles) east of the city of Quetta, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

More than 100 mud houses collapsed and many buildings were damaged.

As rescuers searched through the rubble, some of the injured were treated on stretchers in the street under telephone torchlight.

“The earthquake struck at around 3am. The seriously injured people are in hospital and they are waiting for ambulances to be moved to Quetta,” said resident Muzaffar Khan Tareen.

An army helicopter airlifted at least nine of the seriously injured to Quetta, the state-run Associated Press Pakistan reported.

Aftershocks were being felt across the region.

Pakistan sits on top of colliding tectonic plates and earthquakes are common.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit Quetta in 1935, killing between 30,000 and 60,000 people and destroying much of the city.

In 2005, about 73,000 people were killed by a magnitude 7.6 quake that struck about 95km (59 miles) northeast of the capital, Islamabad.

Residents walk through the rubble of damaged houses after the earthquake. [Naseer Ahmed/Reuters]
Advertisement
The earthquake struck at the relatively shallow depth of 20 km (12 miles) with an epicentre 102 km (62 miles) east of the city of Quetta. [Naseer Ahmed/Reuters]
Injured people injured being transported in a Pakistani army helicopter following the earthquake in the remote mountainous district of Harnai. [Handout via AFP]
More than 100 mud houses collapsed and many buildings were damaged.  [Banaras Khan/AFP]
A resident removes debris from his mud house that collapsed following the earthquake. [Banaras Khan/AFP]
A resident removes damaged parts of his house. Aftershocks were being felt across the region. [Naseer Ahmed/Reuters]
Advertisement
Residents gather as a rescue helicopter with medical supplies lands following the earthquake in Harnai. [Naseer Ahmed/Reuters]


  • About

    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Sitemap
    • Work for us
  • Connect

    • Contact Us
    • User Accounts Help
    • Advertise with us
    • Stay Connected
    • Newsletters
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Submit a Tip
  • Our Channels

    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+
  • Our Network

    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

Follow Al Jazeera English:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram-colored-outline
  • rss
Al Jazeera Media Network logo
© 2025 Al Jazeera Media Network