2005 Pakistan earthquake
 Kabul
Islamabad
Lahore
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| Date | 8 October 2005 |
|---|---|
| Origin time | 03:50:39 UTC |
| Magnitude | 7.6 Mw |
| Depth | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Epicenter | 34°27′N 73°39′E / 34.45°N 73.65°ECoordinates: 34°27′N 73°39′E / 34.45°N 73.65°E |
| Type | Oblique-slip |
| Areas affected | Pakistan, India, Afghanistan |
| Max. intensity | VIII (Severe) |
| Landslides | Yes |
| Aftershocks | 5.9 MW Oct 8 at 03:57 5.8 MW Oct 8 at 03:58 6.4 MW Oct 8 at 10:46 |
| Casualties | 86,000–87,351 dead 69,000–75,266 injured 2.8 million displaced |
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at 08:50:39 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October in the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir. It was centered near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The earthquake also affected countries in the surrounding region where tremors were felt in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chinese Xinjiang. The severity of the damage caused by the earthquake is attributed to severe upthrust.
Kashmir lies in the area of collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The geological activity born out of this collision, also responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountain range, is the cause of unstable seismicity in the region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured its magnitude as a minimum of 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale, with its epicentre about 19 km (12 mi) northeast of Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, and 100 km (62 mi) north-northeast of the national capital Islamabad.
Most of the devastation hit north Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. In Kashmir, the three main districts were badly affected and Muzaffarabad, the state capital of Azad Kashmir, was hardest hit in terms of casualties and destruction. Hospitals, schools, and rescue services including police and armed forces were paralysed. There was virtually no infrastructure and communication was badly affected. More than 70% of all casualties were estimated to have occurred in Muzaffarabad. Bagh, the second-most-affected district, accounted for 15% of the total casualties.
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