Magnitude 5.4 earthquake shakes Pakistan

Friday, February 20, 2009

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 5.4 earthquake has struck Pakistan, approximately 95 kilometers (60 miles) north east of the nation's capital, Islamabad. Pakistan's weather service put the magnitude at 5.5, but A Pakistan News reports the magnitude to be 5.8.

There are reports of several injuries in Bagh, Kashmir, but the extent of those injuries are not known. No deaths have yet been reported. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 devastated the same town and area in 2005, killing nearly 80,000 people.

Authorities in Neelum Valley say a school was damaged in a local town. As a result, authorities closed all schools and sent children home for the day.

The quake struck at 3:48 UTC, with the epicenter being in Baramulla in Northern Kashmir, which is currently occupied by Indian military forces. The quake was measured at just over 26 miles beneath the Earth. It was felt in places such as Peshawar and Lahore.

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Sources

"Earthquake Hits Pakisan’s Upper Areas" — A Pakistan News, February 20, 2009
"Earthquake strikes parts of Pakistan" — The News International, February 20, 2009
"Magnitude 5.4 - Pakistan" — United States Geological Survey, February 20, 2009
"Earthquake rocks Kashmir Valley" — Sindh Today, February 19, 2009

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Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.