New Island Rises From Sea After Pakistan Quake

Death toll now more than 200
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 25, 2013 1:14 AM CDT
Updated Sep 25, 2013 7:03 AM CDT
Pakistan Quake Spawns New Island
People rushed out their apartments and offices after they felt the quake in Baluchistan province.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

The 7.7 quake that shook Pakistan yesterday killed more than 200 people but also gave the country some new land—at least temporarily. Crowds of residents on the coast, far from the epicenter, saw a new island rise from the Arabian Sea after the quake, NBC News reports. Residents say a similar island arose for around a year after a 1968 quake, and experts believe this island is also a temporary formation caused by a "mud volcano" gushing to the surface as the quake destabilized the ocean floor.

During a strong quake, "sandy layers underground are shaken, and sand grains jiggle and become more compact," forcing water up along with mud and sand, a seismologist explains. The death toll from the quake has risen to 208, with almost 400 injured. The army has sent hundreds of soldiers to join rescue operations in a remote area near the border with Iran where the quake collapsed hundreds of mud houses, Reuters reports. (More Pakistan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X