At least 20 people have died and more than 200 injured after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of Thursday. The quake in the province of Balochistan had a relatively shallow depth of about 9 km (6 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Its epicenter was about 100 km (62 miles) east of the provincial capital Quetta, and about 14 kilometers (8 miles) north-northeast of Harnai. Rescue workers said those who died were mostly women and children, reported Reuters. The quake had struck while people were sleeping, just past 3 a.m. local time. More than 100 mud houses collapsed while a large number of other buildings, including government buildings, were damaged. At least one coal mine collapsed amid the quake. Sohail Anwar, deputy commissioner in the city of Harnai, told Reuters that hundreds of people were rendered homeless. Residents gathered outside in …
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