death toll in devastating earthquake that rattled Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and several cities in country rose to 30 on Wednesday as authorities stepped up relief efforts.  epicenter of powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which occurred at around 4 pm on Tuesday at a depth of only 10 kilometers, was near Mirpur city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), roughly 20 kilometers rth of Jhelum in Punjab, according to US Geological Survey.  earthquake resurrected haunting memories of a monster tremor that h wrecked region 14 years ago.  earthquake which also jolted several cities of Punjab and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa province left at least 30 people de, disaster manment officials were quoted as saying by Express Tribune. 

‘Casualties likely to increase’ 

Eleven deaths have been reported in Jatlan and nine in Mirpur alone. Or people died in areas located between Mirpur and Jari Kas, PoK's State Disaster Manment Authority (SDMA) Secretary Shahid Mohyiddin said.  number of casualties is likely to increase as around 100 of injured are mitted to different hospitals in a critical condition, report quoted SDMA official as saying.  worst-hit areas are Mirpur city, a small town Jatlan and two vills Manda and Afzalpur, where buildings and homes collapsed, trees were uprooted, and cracks appeared on ros large eugh to swallow cars. Or cities where tremors were felt included Islamab, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Mansehra, Gujrat, Chitral, Malakand, Swat, Sahiwal, and Rahim Yar Khan. 

Re: 5.8 magnitude Earthquake strikes PoK; 19 killed, over 300 injured

Rehabilitation work in process 

quake was powerful and created panic as people ran out of building, eyewitnesses said. National Disaster Manment Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Mohamm Afzal said at a briefing in Islamab that trucks loed with relief items, including 200 tents, 800 blankets, 200 kitchen sets, and 100 medical kits would reach people affected by earthquake soon. " NDMA is alrey providing medicines, food items and tents, which were in its stock in affected areas, to victims," he ded. Afzal said that 452 people were injured, including 160 are in serious condition and 450 houses were also damd. 

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Special Assistant of PM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said that government would compensate families of de and injured and also help m to rebuild damd houses. "An initial assessment is being done and soon a relief pack will be anunced by government of Pakistan," she said. Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed armed forces to begin urgent rescue and relief efforts in quake-hit areas, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military's media wing. "Army troops have reached earthquake-hit areas of Mirpur, Jatlan, and Jarikas. Relief and rescue efforts are underway," it said in a statement on Tuesday. 

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Chaudhry Mohamm Saeed, PoK's Minister for Sports, Youth, and Culture, told Dawn that a state of emergency h been declared in all public and private hospitals of town. A breach in Upper Jhelum Canal caused by earthquake inundated a number of vills along Jatlan Ro, around 140 kilometers south of Islamab. earthquake also damd two pedestrian bridges over canal, making it difficult for locals to cross over, report said. In October 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people, flattening buildings in rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts. Pakistan was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005, that killed nearly 90,000 people in PoK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

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