QUETTA: A powerful earthquake with 5.9 magnitude hit Quetta and other areas of Balochistan in the wee hours of Thursday, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 200 others.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, an earthquake of 5.9 magnitude with a depth of 10 kilometer jolted Balochistan’s Harnai district in the wee hours. Tremors of the earthquake were also felt in Killa Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Kuchlak, Pishin and Quetta. The bodies and injured, including women and children, were rushed to district headquarters hospital, Harnai.

Sohail Anwar Hashmi, Deputy Commissioner, Harnai told media that emergency had been declared in District Headquarters Hospital, Harnai and other healthcare institutions of the district. Director General, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that eight teams of PDMA were busy in rescue and relief operations in Harnai while two teams of PDMA are taking part in rescue and relief operations in Shahrug area of District Harnai.

Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, said on Thursday that operation for shifting patients from Ziarat to Quetta in air-ambulance had been launched. In a statement, she said that emergency had been imposed in Ziarat in the wake of earthquake, adding that measures were being adopted on emergency basis to provide healthcare facilities to the people in all Tertiary Care Institutions, including Trauma Centre, Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta and Bolan Medical Complex Hospital, Quetta.

Buledi said that 12 Corps of Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan extended quick response in rescue and relief operations, adding that rescue activities of all institutions, including Health Department, Pak Army and FC, were being coordinated.