At Least Nine Killed by Earthquake in Pakistan and Afghanistan

At least nine people have been killed by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake which has rocked large swathes of Pakistan and Afghanistan .

The deaths were caused by the collapse of roofs in several regions of northwestern Pakistan as a result of the earthquake. Many others were injured as a result of the earthquake.

At least 19 mudbrick dwellings fell in isolated locations, according to Taimoor Khan, spokesman for the provincial disaster management office in the northwest. “We are still collecting data about the damages,” he said.

The epicenter of the magnitude 6.5 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey, was 40km (25 miles) south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan’s hilly Hindukush area, which borders Pakistan and Tajikistan. T he earthquake was 187.6km deep (116 miles).

Several people fled their homes and workplaces in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, with some chanting verses from the Qur’an. This situation was duplicated in Kabul and other regions of Afghanistan.

Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, said he had instructed disaster management agencies to remain on standby.

The Taliban’s chief spokesman in Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, tweeted that the ministry of public health has instructed all health institutes to be prepared for increased emergency numbers.