Dikhyaa Mohanty 
An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook Pakistan’s Balochistan on October 7 morning which led to killing of at least 20 people and over 300 people were injured as informed by provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove.
According to the reports, the home minister stated that a state of emergency has been declared in all districts of the province affected by the earthquake to assist rescue efforts and health services. Further helicopters are being sent to the affected areas to shift the seriously injured to other cities, including the provincial capital of Quetta.
As per the National Seismic Monitoring Centre of Pakistan, the 5.9-magnitude quake struck at 3.01 a.m. with a focal depth of 15 km and the epicentre located near the Harnai district. The jolts were also felt in Quetta, Mastung, Muslim Bagh, Qila Saifullah, Sibi and Pishin. Further landslides in the quake-hit areas have blocked several roads affecting the rescue works.
The Director-General informed that at least three villages were the worst hit in Harnai district where around 70 houses collapsed. Deputy Commissioner for Harnai city Sohail Anwar Hashmi stated that the bodies and the injured were being shifted to nearby hospitals and the majority of the deceased and injured were women and children.
