Wednesday, February 24, 2010


Pakistan Earthquake killed many
On 29 October 2008, Wednesday, at 4.09 am, a powerful earthquake struck 70 miles northwest of Quetta, in the Baluchistan Province of south-western Pakistan.
The earthquake, a magnitude of 6.4, caused many houses to collapse and some were destroyed in landslides that followed the quake. Later, at 5.09am, aftershocks of 6.2 magnitudes rattled the province, causing more panic among local people. Nine aftershocks had been felt by 11am, officials said. At least 160 people were killed and about 120,000 were left homeless. More than 200 people were injured.
The worst-hit area appeared to be Ziarat, about 50km north of Quetta, where hundreds of mostly mud and timber houses had been destroyed in five villages, mayor Dilawar Kakar said.
The quake was due to the convergent plate boundary, where the plates moved toward each other. The Indian plate moved northward at a rate of about 40 mm/yr and collided with the Eurasian plate. Along the northern edge of the Indian subcontinent, the Indian plate sub ducted beneath the Eurasian plate, causing uplift that produced the highest mountain peaks in the world.
Dilawar Khan, mayor of the Ziarat District stated that his office had requested support from the local government. He also said he would like to appeal to the whole world for help. “We need food, we need medicine. People need warm clothes, blankets because it is cold here.”
In addition, the government dispatched Pakistani military helicopters and troops to assess damage and aid victims.
A lot of damage is caused by natural occurrences like earthquakes. However, the damage may be minimized in various ways. For instance, houses can be built to withstand tremors. In this way, they will not collapse so easily when earthquakes strike the area. Residents can also be educated so that they know how to react to tremors. For example, they can stay away from windows in case they shatter. In times of slight tremors, they should hide under solid furniture to avoid being hit by falling things.On 29 October 2008, Wednesday, at 4.09 am, a powerful earthquake struck 70 miles northwest of Quetta, in the Baluchistan Province of south-western Pakistan.
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