Saturday, October 8 2005 19:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Over 1,000 people were today (Oct 8, 2005) feared killed and several villages flattened when a powerful earthquake rocked many parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK) and triggered landslides and panic among people.

Heavy casualties were feared in the capital as two blocks of an up-market 19-storey building 'Margala Towers' apartment building collapsed like a pack of cards in the earthquake that measured 7.5 on the Richter scale and struck at 0850 am local time.

The epicentre of the quake was located 100 km north of Islamabad. The exact location appeared to be the Hazara division in northern areas.

Defence Ministry spokesman Maj Gen. Shaukat Sultan told reporters here that more than 1,000 people could have died in the earthquake. Describing the quake as a 'national tragedy,' he said, "This is the worst earthquake in recent times."

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao told Geo TV that as per the information received so far, several villages have been wiped out.

Army has been deployed to assist the local authorities in relief and rescue operations.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz together visited the collapsed apartment block. "In the overall context it is a test for all of us, the entire nation and we are sure that we will qualify this test," Musharraf said.

The earthquake lasted for several minutes in POK while it shook Islamabad for over a minute. The Pakistani capital also experienced 12 aftershocks till noon with considerable intensity.