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world news Diabierna 8 OctOber 2021

Strong earthquake in southwest Pakistan kills at least 23

(AP) — A powerful earth- The epicenter of the 5.9 mag- might be trapped. Homes lay
quake collapsed at least nitude quake was about 15 in heaps of mud and straw.
one coal mine and doz- kilometers (9 miles) north- Residents of small mountain
ens of mud houses in northeast of Harnai in Balu- villages were seen wandering
southwest Pakistan early chistan province, according stunned among the rubble.
Thursday, killing at least to the U.S. Geological Survey. “Women, children, everyone,
23 people as the death toll The initial measurement of was running here and there,”
continued to creep higher. the quake’s strength was 5.7 said resident Ghulam Khan.
At least another 200 peo- magnitude. It struck about 9 “We were scared and we
ple were injured, an offi- kilometers (5.5 miles) below didn’t know what to do.”
cial said. the Earth’s surface; shallower
quakes tend to cause more Ambulances soon arrived to
The death tally was expect- damage. transport the injured to the
ed to rise even further as hospital in Harnai.
crews searched in the remote The area, about 100 kilome-
mountainous area, said Su- ters (60 miles) from Quetta, Doctors treated patients out-
hail Anwar Shaheen, the local the provincial capital, is dot- side the hospital as 4.6 mag- in small villages dotting the temperatures are chilly.
deputy commissioner. ted with coal mines, which nitude aftershocks contin- mountainside.
has Shaheen worried the ued into the morning hours. Pakistan’s southwestern
At least four people were death toll could rise. It struck Children with bloodied Most of the population in the Baluchistan lies on a seismi-
killed when the coal mine in the early morning while bandages were in stretchers area live in sunbaked mud cally active region, accord-
in which they were working scores of miners were already outside the hospital as ambu- houses, many of which col- ing to the provincial disaster
collapsed, said Shaheen, cit- at work, he said. lances brought more wound- lapsed. Rescue efforts were management authority. The
ing coal miners in the area. ed. underway, but Shaheen said worst earthquake, in 1935,
As many as 100 homes also Pakistan’s military was de- it would take hours just to destroyed the provincial cap-
collapsed, burying sleeping ployed to the earthquake area “So far we have treated more reach many of the hardest-hit ital of Baluchistan and killed
residents inside. to airlift dozens of injured than 200 casualties,” said areas. more than 35,000 people.
from mountain peaks. At Manzoor Ahmed, medical Since then, scores of earth-
In one case, a mother died least nine critically injured superintendent of the Harnai Witnesses in the area said quakes have rattled the prov-
along with her two young people were taken to the pro- district hospital. The small residents were wrapped in ince, Pakistan’s least popu-
sons when their home col- vincial hospital in Quetta. rural facility has been taxed blankets against the cold, sit- lated, with just 12 million
lapsed, said Wali Muham- Search and rescue teams have to the limit, he said. As many ting on the side of the road people.
mad, a relative. Nearby, the arrived in the mountains, an as 15 bodies were brought waiting for the aftershocks to
body of an 8-year old girl was army statement said. there. subside and for help to arrive. Pakistan is a nation of 220
found beneath the rubble of million people, 60 percent of
her home. Concern has grown about By early afternoon Thurs- The area is remote and al- whom live in the country’s
scores of coal miners who day, funerals were being held ready the autumn nighttime eastern Punjab province.

Austrian leader hopes to stay on amid bribery allegations

(AP) — Austrian Chancel- Prosecutors said Wednes- were favorable to Kurz and He said the Greens were pro-
lor Sebastian Kurz denied day they were investigating published in a newspaper The chancellor said he was posing talks with all other
wrongdoing and made Kurz, nine other people and without being declared as ad- “very calm” about the accu- parties in Austria’s parliament
clear he did not plan to three unidentified organiza- vertising. sations. to discuss how to proceed.
step down after anti-cor- tions on suspicion of breach President Alexander Van der
ruption prosecutors said of trust and bribery. They Kurz became his party’s “What I can’t understand is Bellen scheduled meetings
he is a target in a bribery searched the chancellery, the leader and then chancellor in why I am always supposed to Thursday and Friday with
investigation. However, Finance Ministry and the of- 2017 after previously serving be to blame for all wrongdo- Kogler, Kurz and opposition
the partner party in Kurz’s fices of Kurz’s conservative as Austria’s foreign minister. ing,” he said. “Let’s examine leaders.
coalition government said Austrian People’s Party. whether these accusations
Thursday that the probe In a separate case, anti-cor- against finance ministry em- Kurz noted Thursday that his
created a “disastrous” im- The case centers on allega- ruption authorities put the ployees are true. With the party won the past two elec-
pression and raised ques- tions that Finance Ministry 35-year-old chancellor un- best will in the world, I can’t tions and said it “stands by”
tions about the chancel- money was used between der investigation in May on imagine it.” the government it formed
lor’s “ability to act.” 2016 and at least 2018 to pay suspicion of making false with the Greens, praising
for manipulated polls that statements to a parliamentary Asked whether he would re- their cooperation during the
commission, an allegation he main chancellor in view of coronavirus pandemic.
also rejected. the investigations, Kurz re-
plied: “Yes, of course.” “If the Greens don’t want to
Kurz, in a Wednesday night continue this cooperation
interview with public televi- The Green party, Kurz’s ju- any longer and want to look
sion network ORF, denied nior coalition partner since for other majorities in par-
responsibility for any wrong- he won a second term in liament, then that has to be
doing involving the pub- early 2020, were far less re- accepted,” he said. “We are
lished polls. laxed. Vice Chancellor Wer- prepared to continue work-
ner Kogler, who also leads ing together.”
“There is absolutely no in- the Greens, tweeted that “the
dication that I directed what impression is disastrous” Kurz’s first coalition with the
adverts or polls were com- and the allegations must be far-right Freedom Party col-
missioned at the Finance cleared up thoroughly. lapsed in 2019. The chan-
Ministry,” he said. He said cellor pulled the plug after a
that text messages from him “The chancellor’s ability to video surfaced showing the
contain no instructions or re- act is in question against this Freedom Party’s leader at the
quests, “and at the same time, background,” Kogler said. time, Vice Chancellor Heinz-
prosecutors put the theory “We must ensure stability and Christian Strache, appearing
out there that everything is order.” to offer favors to a purported
directed by Kurz.” Russian investor.