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A strong
earthquake (M6.0-6.9 termed as "moderate")
occurred
in the Chiltan Hills in Balochistan to the north-east of Quetta,
on 29 October
2008
at 05:09 AM local time (28
October 2008, 23:09:57 GMT). It had a
magnitude of Mw=6.4 and has resulted in damage as well as several
fatalities. The red star indicates the location of the mainshock at
05:09 AM local time while the yellow star shows the location of a
Mb=5.2 foreshock at 04:33 AM local time. The mainshock at 05:09 AM
local time was followed by a Mw=6.4 event at 17:32 PM local time
on 29 October 2008 and this is marked by a pink star.
If you felt either of these earthquake,
please take the time to fill out a felt report questionnaire.
29 October 2008 - M6.4, Chiltan Hills,
05:09 PakDST
29 October 2008 - M6.4, Chiltan Hills,
17:32 PakDST
The earthquake at 05:09 AM LT was centred
4.3 kms SW of Jalak (Balochistan), Pakistan,
4.6kms NW of Balozai (Balochistan), Pakistan,
6.5 kms N of Khanozai (Balochistan), Pakistan,
14.8 kms WNW of Yusuf Kach (Balochistan), Pakistan,
40 kms NE of Bostan (Balochistan), Pakistan,
51.4 kms NW of Ziarat (Balochistan), Pakistan,
59.3 kms NE of Quetta (Balochistan), Pakistan,
87.2 kms ESE of Chaman (Balochistan), Pakistan,
137 kms NNW of Sibi (Balochistan), Pakistan,
186 kms SE of Kandahar (Kandahar), Afghanistan.
166 people were killed
and 357 injured in this earthquake according to figures released
by the NDMA (Islamabad) on 3 November 2008. Media reports put the
figure higher at over 400
people killed and 1,000 injured. At least 2,000 buildings
were destroyed. At least 8,000 people were displaced by this
earthquake. Most of the damage occurred in the
districts of Pishin and Ziarat but casualties have also occurred
in Chaman, Dera Murad Jamali and Sani Shoorn. The villages of
Ahmadoon, Gogi Kawas, Kan Depot, Lori, Sarkhizai, Wam and Warchun
were almost completed destroyed. Damage was also reported from the
Kalazai area in Ziarat district. Several people were
also injured at Kalat and Pishin while 50 were hurt at Quetta, most after
jumping out of buildings in panic. Power supply was
disrupted in the epicentral region. The villages of Killi Kant,
Killi Shadi Khan and Warchum near Ziarat were struck by landslides.
The road between Quetta and Ziarat was also damaged by "large
cracks". Damage
to mud-walled buildings has been reported from Chaman, Kalat, Killa
Abdullah, Pishin, Ziarat and from
Quetta including at Nawakilli and Pashtunabad on the outskirts of
the city. Many people spend the rest of the morning outdoors in
fear of further tremors.
Tremors were strongly felt at Bolan, Jaffarabad, Loralai, Mach, Mastung, Muslimbagh,
Naseerabad, Qalat, Qila
Saifullah and Quetta as well as parts of northern and central Balochistan. It was also felt at Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The Mw=6.4 earthquake was preceded by a Mb=5.2
foreshock at 04:33 am local time that was felt in the region
including at Sanjawai, Qalat and Quetta. Several aftershocks in
the M>4.0 range have been recorded and felt in the region. Almost 12-hours
after the first earthquake, another Mw=6.4 earthquake struck the region
at 17:32 PM local time on 29 October. It was also centred in the Chiltan
Hills and was felt throughout the region including at Chaman,
Dera Murad Jamali, Dhadar, Jafarabad, Kacchi Bolan, Loralai, Naseerabad, Noshki, Pishin, Qila
Abdullah and Quetta,
Shoran, Sibi, Toba Achakzai and Zhob.
There was considerable panic at Chama, Dera Murad Jamali, Digar,
Gandhawa, Jafarabad,
hal Magsi,
Sibi and Quetta. It was also felt in Sindh including at Dadu,
Ghari Khairu, Jacobabad, Kambhar, Larkana, Qambar, Qubo
Saeed Khan and Shehdadkot as well as at Kandahar,
Afghanistan. Many houses damaged in the first earthquake in Ziarat
district collapsed in this earthquake. A child was injured in a wall collapse at Shahdadkot
and several buildings developed cracks. At Quetta, where it is
said to have been very strong, many
buildings developed fresh cracks, plaster was dislodged from walls
and light furniture was upset. Tremors are also thought to have
been felt as far as Gurgaon and Jaipur in north India.
This earthquake at 17:32 LT was centred
7.3 kms N of Spin Ragha (Balochistan), Pakistan,
18.6 kms ESE of Yusuf Kach (Balochistan), Pakistan,
24.6 kms NNW of Ziarat (Balochistan), Pakistan,
28.9 kms SE of Balozai (Balochistan), Pakistan,
31.4 kms E of Khanozai (Balochistan), Pakistan,
63.8 kms ENE of Bostan (Balochistan), Pakistan,
73.7 kms NE of Quetta (Balochistan), Pakistan,
118 kms NNW of Sibi (Balochistan), Pakistan,
120 kms ESE of Chaman (Balochistan), Pakistan,
217 kms ESE of Kandahar (Kandahar), Afghanistan.
The event at 05:09 AM local time is the strongest earthquake in
Balochistan since a Mw=7.0 earthquake on 27 February 1997 near
Harnai that left at least 70 people dead and caused widespread
damage at Duki, Harnai, Mustang, Sibi and Quetta. Other
significant earthquakes in this immediate region including a
Mw=7.0 earthquake near Duki on 1 August 1966, a Mw=7.8 near Quetta
earthquake on 30 May 1935, a Mw=7.3 near Mach on 27 August 1931 and a Mw=7.1 in the Kachhi Plain on 20
October 1909. The 27 August 1931 earthquake followed a Mw=6.8
earthquake near Sharigh on 24 August while the 1 August 1966 Duki
earthquake was preceded by a Mw=6.6 earthquake near Barkhan on 7
February 1966. One of the earliest known earthquakes in this
region was a Mw~6.6 earthquake that occurred on 24 January 1852
and resulted in at least 300 deaths near Kaghan.
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