Khuzdar Earthquake Kills One: Man Crushed by a Falling Rock in Naal as Damage to Mud Houses Emerges Across the District

KHUZDAR: The Khuzdar earthquake death toll stood at one on Sunday, as officials confirmed that a man had been killed in the Naal area of Balochistan’s Khuzdar district when a large rock broke loose from a mountain during Saturday’s tremor. The victim was identified as Abdul Rahim, son of Qamaruddin, a resident of Wadh, who was struck in Anari, in the Besar area of Naal, and died on the spot. Several mud houses were also damaged across the district.

First reports had shown no loss of life

The quake struck at 10:07am on Saturday, and the first reports, including the district administration’s initial assessment, spoke of no casualties and no damage — the picture that early coverage, including ours, reflected. It was only as word came in from Naal’s remote, mountainous villages that the fatal rockfall emerged. The tremors had been strong enough to send residents fleeing from their homes into open ground in widespread panic.

PMD puts the magnitude at 5.9

The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre recorded the earthquake at magnitude 5.9, with its epicentre 48 kilometres northwest of Khuzdar at a depth of 25 kilometres. Tremors were also felt in nearby Kalat and Surab. Most homes in Khuzdar’s countryside are built of mud, which is why even a moderate quake tends to leave damage behind in this part of Balochistan.