November 07, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 8, 1429

QUETTA, Nov 6: The provincial capital and several other parts of Balochistan may face severe earthquakes because they lie on faultlines, while Gwadar and Pasni are prone to tsunami, says an expert.

The Director-General of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, Dr Imran Khan, told Dawn on Thursday that the Chaman faultline, which originated in the Arabian Sea, was the most important in the province.

He said a tsunami had destroyed Pasni in 1945.

He said more than 1,000 aftershocks had been recorded in Quetta and Ziarat after the recent earthquake and their intensity was decreasing, but they could prove dangerous for buildings damaged in the quake. “Release of energy below the surface of the earth in the shape of aftershocks is a good sign.”

In reply to a question, he said the epicentre of the earthquake was near Khanozai, in Pishin district, and it had affected Quetta and northern and central parts of the province.

The existing building code should be strictly implemented in Quetta and other areas to minimise damage from future quakes, the GSP chief said.

AFTERSHOCKS: The meteorological department said the intensity of the aftershocks that jolted Quetta, Ziarat and other areas on Thursday ranged between 3.1 and 5.4 on the Richter scale. “Aftershocks of a magnitude up to six cannot be ruled out,” Regional Computer Processing Centre Director Saifullah Shami said. He said the epicentre of the most powerful aftershock measuring 6.2 was in Gogai area of Ziarat.

He said a quake of 4.4 magnitude recorded on Oct 30 had originated in the sea near Pasni.