Quake revists Quetta

[Pak_Army]

Quake revists Quetta
ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (APP): The 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Quetta and adjoining areas in the early hours of Wednesday reminded many of the horrible quake that struck the region over 73 years back, killing over 30,000.
The 1935 earthquake that measured 7.7 was centered 4.0 kilometres South West of Ali Jaan and struck the city at around 3:40 in the morning of May 30.
At that time the Quetta Earthquake, as it became known, was described as the deadliest earthquake in the South Asia. Tremors were felt over much of what is now Pakistan and as far as Agra in India.
An official Government communique issued on that day from Simla stated:
“1. The whole city of Quetta is destroyed and being sealed under military guard from 2nd June with medical advice. It is estimated that 20,000 corpses remain buried under the debris. There is no hope of rescuing any more persons alive. The corpses extracted and buried number several thousand. There are about 10,000 Indian survivors including 4,000 injured.
2.   All houses in the civil area are razed to the ground except
Government House, which is partially standing but in ruins. The church and club are both in ruins, also the Murree Brewery.
3.   One quarter of the cantonment area is destroyed, the remaining three quarters slightly damaged, but inhabitable. Most of the damage was done in the RAF area where the barracks were destroyed, and only six out of the twenty-seven machines are serviceable.
4.   The railway area is destroyed.
5.   Hanna Road and the Staff College are undamaged.
6.   Surrounding villages are destroyed with; it is feared, very heavy casualties. The number is not yet ascertainable. Military parties are being sent out to investigate and render help.
7.   Outlying districts, as already reported from Khelat and
Mastung, are reported to have been razed to the ground with heavy casualties. All the villages between Quetta and Khelat are also reported to have been destroyed.”
Other fatal earthquakes that hit the region include the magnitude 8 earthquake on the Makran coast on 27 November 1945, with 4,000 officially recorded fatalities.  An earthquake measuring 6.2 hit Northern Pakistan on 28 December 1974 and caused 5,300 deaths, while the country’s worst natural disaster occurred on October 8, 2005, when a 7.6 magnitude quake flattened villages, towns and cities and caused around 86,000 deaths and rendered 3.5 million homeless.