Earthquake in Pakistan - Hundreds Killed | War and Peace

Earthquake in Pakistan - Hundreds Killed

Published October 29, 2008 @ 02:33PM PT

[Photo from NYT / European Pressphoto Agency]

An earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan earlier today, with initial casualty reports as high as 500 - 600 people killed.

[Current fatality estimates are much lower - the official toll as of Thursday is 236 killed.]

The 6.5 magnitude earthquake was centered 75 kilometers northeast of Quetta, in Baluchistan Province. For a map of the general area, see here. (For a more detailed map, see here.)

The NGO Action by Churches Together (ACT) reports that 1,800 people were injured and 1,100 houses damaged in the areas they surveyed. The New York Times estimates that 15,000 people are now homeless.

According to Hasan Muzamdar, the Country Director for CARE Pakistan:

"Shelter is the most critical need now. Winter has already started here. At night, it goes down to 5 C [41 F]. If we don't get shelter for the survivors, they will be sleeping under the open sky. This is a vast, poor area – it's not like the survivors can easily evacuate to a safe place."

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Author

Michael has worked for NGOs in Afghanistan, across east and central Africa, and Iraq. Prior to going overseas, he worked on a project providing assistance to the United Nations on the application of International Humanitarian Law to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.