More than 20 killed, 300 injured in Mirpur earthquake

MIRPUR: As many as 23 people were killed and more than 300 were injured on Tuesday when a 5.6 magnitutde earthquake struck the northern cities and villages.

The earthquake, according to media reports, was 10 kilometers deep and struck around 4pm. The epicenter of the earthquake was Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.

According to Dawn News, tremors were felt for 8-10 seconds before they stopped. Among the 300 injured, it is being reported that 100 are in critical condition.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session, conveyed his grief and condolences at the loss of life due to the earthquake.

“The quake was 10 kilometres deep and was felt in most of Punjab province and some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The worst hit was Mirpur, Azad Kashmir,” chief meteorologist Muhammad Riaz told AFP.

The tremors were felt in Islamabad, Mirpur, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Mansehra, Gujrat, Chitral, Malakand, Multan, Shangla, Bajaur, Swat, Sahiwal and Rahim Yar Khan.

The NDMA chief said that the nearby Mangla Dam had remained unaffected due to the earthquake.