KHUZDAR, PAKISTAN – A new island appeared off Pakistan after a deadly 7.7-magnitude quake struck Tuesday afternoon in Baluchistan province’s Awaran district — a dirt-poor expanse of land that is roughly the size of Wales.
“The island, which is up to 100 feet high and 200 feet wide, surfaced after the earthquake hit parts of Baluchistan,” senior local administration official Tufail Baluch told AFP.
The official said a similar island had appeared at the same place in the sea about 60 years ago but disappeared after some time, meaning the current island is unlikely to last long.
That didn’t stop locals from hopping boats to explore the island, which is likely mainly mud and sand. Television channels showed images of the rocky terrain rising above the sea level, as well as a crowd of bewildered people gathering on the shore to witness the rare phenomenon.
The new island was created by the pressure of the earthquake, seismologist John Armbruster told NBC News, which led to the formation of a “mud volcano.” He said such mud formations are a known occurrence following strong earthquakes of magnitude of seven or eight.
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