Debris of a house that collapsed in Chaka Galli in the city. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
Residents of Peshawar, Parachinar and Shangla rushed out of their houses towards open spaces on Saturday as an earthquake ripped through the province. A majority of people were still reeling from the shock of tremors that were felt across Pakistan and Afghanistan on October 26 when they were thrown into yet another panic mode. According to the US Geological Survey, Saturday’s earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3.
Driven by fear, a large number of residents rushed out of their houses and stood outside in the biting chill. “I was not the only one on the road without a sweater and shoes,” 39-year-old Mohammad Taimur said.
Taimur, who belongs to Peshawar, spent nearly an hour on the road. “I hadn’t forgotten the sound of the concrete cracking during the previous earthquake,” he said. “Tonight, I heard that sound again. It was terrible; women and children were screaming in the stairs and my legs were shaking.
Fawad Khan, a resident of Gulberg, lives on the fourth floor of a residential building. He said he could not get to an open space as the watchman of the apartments had locked the exit and was nowhere to be found. “I had just gone to sleep when I felt someone was shaking me,” he said. “I immediately ran towards the stairs after waking up. When I reached there, I saw people were stranded in stairs while the watchman was long gone.”
He added, “There are time when I feel the ground shaking and look at the ceiling fans to confirm my suspicion.” According to Fawad, there have been many aftershocks following October 26. “I am thinking about leaving the multi-storey apartment building to a place where I can access open spaces easily,” he said.
“After the earthquake on October 26, I was so shaken that I would start feeling paranoid when the clock struck 12. And tonight confirmed my paranoia,” Mohammad Siraj, a resident of Amin Colony on GT Road, said. “The aftershocks and two massive earthquakes in two months have touched many people like me.”
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told The Express Tribune a majority of the people that his team took to hospitals were those whose blood pressure had been affected because of widespread panic.
Parachinar
Different parts of Kurram Agency, including Parachinar, experienced strong jolts of earthquake on Friday. People ran out of their houses to open spaces in search of safety. A large number of people started aerial firing as the earthquake struck to awaken people from their sleep. However, no loss of life has been reported as yet.
Shangla
Tremors were also felt in Shangla on the night of December 26, and electricity was suspended in Besham, leaving people in dark, without power for a long period of time. However, Shangla AC Javed Iqbal told The Express Tribune no casualties were reported.
Gulzada Khan, a resident of Chichlo in Shangla whose house got destroyed in the earthquake on October 26, is living without shelter amid cold weather and snowfall with his family.
Gulzada said he is still waiting to receive help from the government. “After last night, the fear of earthquake returned as it was strong in magnitude,” Gulzada said.
Snowfall, an insult to injury
Roads in Shangla have been closed since Wednesday due to heavy snowfall in the region. The temperatures dropped further in the last two days, making it difficult to travel without snow chains.
According to a statement issued by Shangla DC Office Saadat Hassan, a ban on transportation without snow chains has been imposed under Section 144. If someone is caught driving without snow chains in snow-covered areas, he or she will be prosecuted.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2015.
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