(Islamabad, Pakistan) A massive earthquake, 7.6 on the Richter Scale, struck Kashmir around midnight EDT and was felt across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The center is reported at approximately 50 miles northeast of Islamabad (map).

From the BBC:

Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman, said: "Casualties will be high... they could be well over 1,000."

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told local television: "We have reports that several entire villages have been wiped out."

From HindustanTimes.com:

The quake killed at least 10 people in Jammu and Kashmir and 40 in Pakistan, initial reports said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh quickly moved out of a building in Chandigarh where he was meeting Congress chief ministers.

Another report said that Jammu and Kashmir bore the brunt where over 30 people, including 15 army personnel, were killed, hundreds injured and more than 400 houses flattened.

[ ... ]

A 10-storey apartment building in Islamabad collapsed like a pack of cards, entombing several sleeping people. In the F-10 sector of Islamabad, a portion of the building known as Margallah Towers collapsed. Most victims were still asleep. In the Valley, Uri market was completely flattened due to the quake and Uri-Rampur Highway blocked due to landslides.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 05:47 AM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
Post contains 275 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Your trackbacks are currently malfunctioning, but I do a seismic comparison over at http://jonathanandwanda.blogspot.com/ Pray for these people.

Posted by: Jonathan at October 08, 2005 07:17 AM (fwrZe)

2 Obviously the trackbacks are working again. Just tried again and ta-da. = )

Posted by: Jonathan at October 08, 2005 07:39 AM (fwrZe)

3 God is punishing the muslims. Just like he did with that giant wave.

Posted by: Filthy Allah at October 08, 2005 08:14 AM (bikuR)

4 You silly Allah. When a natural disaster hits Muslim lands, it's a tragedy. When it hits infidels, it's Allah's will. Still ... we are better than that and don't wish to see innocent people suffer.

Posted by: Oyster at October 08, 2005 09:16 AM (YudAC)

5 If that damned George Bush had signed the Kyoto agreement this never would have....................Oh.......Never mind.

Posted by: REMF at October 08, 2005 09:23 AM (aLiCo)

6 God is taking turns, punishing both sides.

Posted by: menezes' ghost at October 08, 2005 10:25 AM (Z8ckK)

7 I think personally, and other's may disagree with me, God had nothing to do with it. I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say plate-tectonics has "everything" to do with it. But that's just the infidel in me speaking ;-)

Posted by: Oyster at October 08, 2005 11:08 AM (YudAC)

8 Oh Oyster, don't you know about the earthquake/tsunami/hurricane generator which was developed by Halliburton for the CIA and is controlled by the Joooos for the alien overlords who live in their invisible spaceships in high orbit around Earth? Come on, get with the program!

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at October 08, 2005 12:48 PM (0yYS2)

9 mark my words, their will be an Al Qaeda video that blames the earthquake on Pakistan's support of the Afghanistan campaign, and enabling the "crusaders of the cross" to use their land to fight the "holy lions of the mujahideen" They make some great propadanda -- and now it's time to capitalize on someone's suffering! That reminds me, When is Micheal Moore's next movie coming out again?

Posted by: dave at October 08, 2005 01:47 PM (CcXvt)

10 Maybe the Democrats can support this effort, by having Mayor Ray Nagin lead the rescue effort. I can see it now, one foot held aloft on a rock, his bullhorn held high majestically : Get these people to the SuperDome! or we could just rely on the real aid workers to do their jobs as usual.

Posted by: dave at October 08, 2005 01:54 PM (CcXvt)

11 IM: I thought the earthquake/tsunami/hurricane generator was created by the Ruskies. Unless Haliburton and the CIA created the Ruskies, you're theory doesn't hold water ;-)

Posted by: Oyster at October 08, 2005 02:07 PM (YudAC)

12 Ah, but the Ruskies, and Communism itself, were just creations of the global Jooooooish conspiracy, as an excuse to control Hollywood! You see, everything can be blamed on the JOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOooooooooos!!! In all seriousness though, if you think I'm just being facetious, go over to Stormfront and read some of the wacko conspiracy theories they come up with, and which sound, oddly enough, like the moonbat variety over at kos.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at October 08, 2005 02:43 PM (0yYS2)

13 Ah, I'm just waiting for the same religious freaks who demonstrate at soldiers funerals, and the same ones who say Katrina was a "punishment for NOLA fags" to latch onto this one. I think IM is right...my theory is that Nikola Tesla may have been testing his pesky death rays again.

Posted by: osamabinhamburgler at October 08, 2005 07:14 PM (Ttija)

14 Osama, You know that it is all the fault of McChimpy Halihitlerbushcoburton and KKKarl Rove and his simian herd of chimpy animalistic supporters and Jesus freaks. Oh, you already said that! Excuse me, please.

Posted by: jesusland joe at October 08, 2005 11:31 PM (0raMr)

15 They are saying 18,000+ were killed...

Posted by: Ariya at October 09, 2005 12:03 AM (noCGr)

16 Nah, JJ...don't tell me you haven't heard about these protesters at funerals saying God is killing soldiers because the military has a "don't ask don't tell" policy about homosexuality. Hell, how do you think Gayrooster got in?

Posted by: osamabinhamburgler at October 09, 2005 12:54 PM (Ttija)

17 Just in case you guys haven't read up on Fred Phelps from the "God Hates Fags" church, he is a disbarred attorney and most of his family are lawyers, there really is no other members of this "Church" other than his immediate family. They retain a non-profit status because of the Church, and a member of the Police force in one of the towns they picketed said that it was some racket in order to get themselves assaulted and then sue the city they're in for not protecting them. The whole thing is a scam, it's not even a ultra-right wing idiot, there is no real "Church" it's this guys house. It's all done to gain money!!

Posted by: dave at October 09, 2005 06:36 PM (CcXvt)

18 Osama, Actually I have heard about these guys but just figured they were a few fringe nuts trying to make a buck or gain some notoriety for who knows what reason. The Manson gang always comes to my mind when I see people like this, but Dave says they have another angle. I have not taken the time to investigate them because I find them hateful and useless. Just my take on it, but Dave sounds like your man for info on those guys.

Posted by: jesusland joe at October 09, 2005 08:19 PM (rUyw4)

19 Last year it was the tsunami then it was hurricane katrina now a earthquake in pakistan are these the end times is this armagedon?

Posted by: sandpiper at October 09, 2005 09:45 PM (FpZEl)

20 Dave and JJ: There are some members of the Phelps family who have run for their lives. The mom and dad had like 10 or twelve kids and a few of them were actually born with brains. There are always cracks in any foundation.

Posted by: Oyster at October 10, 2005 06:54 AM (YudAC)

21 Excuse me all of you... Now let me tell you that this is indeed from Allah Almighty...and only He knows why it happened whatever you say won't change the real thing. Be righteous,do good deeds because the end is drawing nearer every second. my well wishes are with all of you may Allah Almighty bestow peace on you. Allah Hafiz

Posted by: A Muslim at October 18, 2005 07:11 AM (OFWBJ)

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