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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials are investigating whether the powerful earthquake that killed dozens of people also created a new island off the southern coast.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department's director general, Arif Mahmood, says witnesses have reported that a small island has appeared near the port of Gwadar.
He says the temblor could have caused the earth under the sea to rise, but officials need to investigate further.
Gwadar police chief Pervez Umrani says the new land mass is visible from the beach. He says the mass is about 9 meters high and 100 meters long.
The huge earthquake hit southwest Pakistan, killing at least 46 people, toppling scores of homes and sending people around the region rushing into the streets in panic.
The 7.7-magnitude quake centred in Baluchistan province's Awaran district was felt as far afield as Karachi, New Delhi and Dubai, residents said. Officials said the quake, which struck at 4:29 p.m. (1129 GMT), demolished dozens of houses in Awaran, 350 km southwest of Quetta.
Its epicenter was 20 km below ground. The area is sparsely populated and most buildings are mud-built. But the US Geological Survey issued a red alert, warning that heavy casualties were likely based on past data.
Asad Gilani, one of the most senior officials in the Baluchistan administration, told AFP that at least 46 people had been confirmed killed and 100 injured in the quake.
“A large number of houses have collapsed in the area and we fear the death toll may rise,” said Rafiq Lassi, police chief for Awaran district.
“We have received reports that many homes in Awaran district have collapsed. We fear many deaths,” Jan Muhammad Baledi, a spokesman for the Baluchistan government, said on the ARY news channel.