25/09/2013 10:04
Pakistan quake kills more than 200 people; island appears
A powerful earthquake in Pakistan has not only cost more than 200 lives -- it also prompted the appearance of a small island off the coast, Pakistani officials said, according to CNN.
The 7.7-magnitude quake struck in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, but it had severe consequences.
At least 208 people were killed in the district of Awaran and the city of Turbut in Balochistan province, Asad Gilani, the provincial home secretary, said Wednesday.
In addition to the fatalities, around 350 people have been injured, he said, and more people are still trapped in rubble.
The quake was strong enough to cause a mass 20 to 30 feet high to emerge from the Arabian Sea like a small mountain island off the coast of Gwadar, local police official Mozzam Jah said. A large number of people gathered to view the newly formed island, he said.
Large quakes can cause significant deformation to the earth's crust, particularly visible along coastlines.
The island is about 100 feet in diameter and about one mile off the coast, GEO TV reported.