Major 6.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia
A major earthquake measuring 6.5 on Richter scale jolted Seram in Indonesia early Thursday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the quake hit at 5:16 am. The epicentre of the quake, however, could yet not be ascertained. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage due to the tremors.
In the previous week, Indonesia was hit by two major earthquakes within an hour. According to European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquakes measured 6.1 on the Richter Scale.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and several north-eastern cities in the country were rattled by a major 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which has claimed the lives of 38 people so far. Rescue operations are still in progress as many are still believed to be trapped under the rubble of the collapsed buildings.
The number of casualties was likely to increase as around 100 of the injured were admitted to different hospitals in a critical condition.
The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of only 10 kilometers, near Mirpur city in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), roughly 20 kilometers north of Jhelum in Punjab, according to the US Geological Survey.
The areas worst hit were Mirpur city, a small town Jatlan and two villages Manda and Afzalpur, where buildings and homes collapsed, trees were uprooted and cracks appeared on roads large enough to swallow cars.
Other cities where the tremors were felt included Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Mansehra, Gujrat, Chitral, Malakand, Swat, Sahiwal, and Rahim Yar Khan.
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In this video: Pakistan jolted by major earthquake causing destruction, casualties
