Earthquake!

[Pensive]

Today, a disaster happened in Pakistan, an earhtquake just came, 45 minutes are passed....and it was terrible...
I was sitting there and I felt....terrbile...I am horrified.I did not first feel it, although everyone did but when our housetaker told me that earth is moving, I get totally freak out....This is what I have read in the latest news.

Islamabad, Oct. 8 (AP): A strong earthquake rocked parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan today, and panicked people ran out of homes and offices in many cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute shortly before 9 a.m. local time (0930 IST). Slight tremors continued afterward.

Arif Mahmood, a seismological official in the northwestern city of Peshawar, said the earthquake was felt in many parts of Pakistan.

"It was a very strong earthquake," he said, adding that officials would announce the quake's magnitude later.

Mohammed Hanif, another seismological official, said the quake appeared to have been strongest in Islamabad.

Local television said the quake caused panic in Islamabad, as well as nearby Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta near the Afghan border.

Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, also felt the temblor.

Right now I am feeling small shocks. In my city, it is not as much as it is in some other places. I am also worried about my all relatives who live in Islamabad and Lahore. I don't know why these natural disasters are happeneing so much. My mom was out and she just came and she is not good. She has felt the earthquake badly. She thinks these natural disastors are because of all that is happening in the world....
My heart goes to all people who are hurt by these disastors.
I hope everything will be alright.

[B-Mental]

My thoughts go out to you and your family and friends. Please keep us posted.

[Pensive]

As I have stated before, my city is not in danger. Here those were only small shocks but our capital: Islamabad is in most danger...
I am feeling very bad. Many of my relatives live there.
I hope it is topped right now. n the news they are saying that it is stopped but small shcoks are still there. It has just totally freaked me out..

[subterranean]

Hope everything will be under control soon and none of your family is injured. We had tsunami disaster last December in one of our provicnes, which ruined almost everything. So somehow I know how you feel...

[Scheherazade]

Its magnitude was 7.8!
Quake hits Indo-Pakistan border

A strong earthquake has struck parts of Pakistan, northern India and Afghanistan, causing panicked residents to pour out into the streets.
In Islamabad, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute shortly before 0900 (0400 GMT).

Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and in the Indian capital, Delhi, are also reported to have felt the tremor.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of at least 7.6 and the epicentre was northeast of Islamabad.

Japan's Meteorological Agency put the magnitude at 7.8.

"We can say that it was one of the strongest earthquakes [ever] felt in Islamabad," Mohammad Hanif, an official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department, told the Reuters news agency.

Police in the Pakistani city of Lahore told the Associated Press news agency that at least eight people were injured and four shops were damaged.

Part of a 19-storey building collapsed in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, reports say.

"It was so strong that I saw buildings swaying. It was terrifying," Hari Singh, a guard in an apartment complex in the New Delhi suburb of Noida told the Associated Press news agency.

The earthquake was also felt in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4321490.stm

Hope the loss and damage will be minimal especially as a harsh winter is getting ready to set in in that part of the world.

Glad you are OK, Pensive. I hope EAP is OK, too.

[B-Mental]

How far are you from Islamabad?

[Pensive]

I am from Multan. The shocks were also felt here but they were not THAT MUCH.
Thanks sub, scher and B Mental for your wishes. I hope everything will be alright everywhere in whole Pakistan. Islamabad was my favourite city in Pakistan. I am horrified to see it like this now...

[Logos]

Oh dear.. glad that you are ok Pensive. I hope all other members from that part of the world are ok :(

[Pensive]

thanks Logos....Now it is said in the news that danger is in whole area of Punjab for 40 hours...They are saying if there is a little shock, one should go to the grounds away from the buildings.
I saw all the damage on the TV and it was a terrible mess. Many people are under the remains...
Now in the news, they are saying that thousands of bodies CAN BE under the remains...help can not be given to all places...they are not able to cover it up correctly. Its really tragic. The whole country is in worry and crisis.

[samercury]

I hope that they find a way to help out as many people as possible.... Glad that you're ok Pensive and I hope that your family in Islamabad is ok too.

[Pensive]

thanks samercury...I hope they will...

[mono]

I offer my kindest and most concerning apologies, Pensive, especially that I cannot imagine experiencing a 7.8 earthquake.
Hopefully no one suffered greatly, and the effects will subside, allowing anyone hurt to heal, the area to re-build, and to leave such a sudden tragedy in the past. :)

[Darlin]

Pensive, I'm glad you're okay too. When I woke up and heard the news I thought this is so much worse than Katrina - just awful so I'm glad you weren't effected. It makes me feel so helpless and then I think of people I know through the Internet that have been effected by Katrina or possibly by this earthquake and it just makes me feel worse until I can find out how they are.

Do you happen to know if Mangalore, India was effected? Geetanjali lives there. She's a fairly new here, loves poetry and is very sweet.

[Pensive]

oh, It was in the news that now, things are much better. I have heard that Kashmir is affected. The part of Kashmir which is in India but not any other place in India is affected-I guess....You can check on wikipedia...details are given there.
Thanks mono and darlin.....I hope none of the other parts of India and Pakistan are affected.

[subterranean]

We had small quake yesterday. My office was on the 26th floor and to avoid any casualties, the management told us to go home. Lucky nothing serious happened :(

[Koa]

Wow Pensive...great to hear from you, I actually thought about you in this days... glad you're safe and your family too... so sad this happened...:(

wow sub...26th floor :eek:

[subterranean]

Yeah...glad they don't put us in the 32nd floor :rolleyes:..I hate towers ....