QUETTA, Oct 8: Quetta which always figures in references about quakes because of the 1935 tragedy, and other parts of Balochistan were lucky to escape the earthquake which hit the NWFP, Islamabad, parts of Punjab, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir.

“There was no impact of the quake in Quetta or any other area of the province,” Dr Ziauddin, Director of the Meteorological Department’s Geophysical Centre, said.

However, some people claimed to have felt jolts at around 9am, but the geophysical centre did not record any jolt.

Balochistan and Sindh were not affected because these areas fall in different faults. “Quetta falls in the Chaman fault that was not affected by this severe quake,” Dr Ziauddin said.

The energy created by quake was released towards the north-east of the epicentre, the NWFP, Punjab and Azad Kashmir and its waves caused destruction in these areas,” officials of Quetta met office said.

The 1935 Quetta quake destroyed the whole valley and killed over 50,000 people in a few seconds. The quake was of 7.8 magnitude and it also wreaked havoc in Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, Mach, Sibi, Chaman and several other areas of Balochistan. The epicentre of the quake was located in Baleli area, some 15km off Quetta.

Quetta suffered another severe earthquake in 1956, and yet another massive quake in 1997 hit Quetta, Sibi, Harnai and vast areas of northern Balochistan, claiming 80 lives.

A large number of people from different parts of Azad Kashmir live in Quetta and many among them lift for home on Saturday after the news of destruction caused by the quake.

“My village Khalidaraman in Rawlakot district is adjacent to an area which has been completely destroyed,” local journalist Mohammad Farooq told Dawn. He said he had no information about his family members. “I have not been able to contact my family or any other relative,” he said.