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Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources
Director, Press Information Department, QUETTA
GSP’S RESEARCH FINDINGS ON GOGI, ZIARAT EARTHQUAKE OF 29th
Dr. Imran Khan, Director General, Geological Survey of Pakistan gave a media briefing on GSP’s findings on Gogi Earthquake of 29th, Ziarat Balochistan on Saturday the 8th November at GSP headoffice Quetta. He informed that a team of earth scientists comprising Mr. Asif Nazeer Rana, Deputy Director GSP Quetta, Sardar Saeed Akhtar, and Ghulam Qadir, Assistant Directors GSP Islamabad and Quetta started seismo tectonic studies and post earthquake investigation shortly after the 6.4 earthquake which struck most parts of Balochistan in the wee hours of October 29th, 2008. The team collected data and made field observations for 6 days in the epicentral area between Khanozai (Pishin) and Gogi, (Ziarat). Field visits were made to the affected areas; Khanozai, Mulla Roadzai, Yousuf Kach, Gogi, Ahmedoon, Kach, Wam, Killi Pio Khan, Varchum, Kan Depot, Kawas and Zandra areas to record data about previously mapped Gogi, Bibai and Kawas Tangi active Faults and other related geological phenomenon like surface rupture, vertical and horizontal displacements, rock falls, mass wasting, landslide, ground slumping, slope failure, liquefaction, subsidence and seepages.
The energy release waves which originated from Khanozai area may have triggered Gogi-Bibai Faults and the shock waves propagated in the North-South direction devastating the area between Wam and Kawas but caused no damage beyond Zandra due to Kawas Tangi strike slip fault. Uprooting of trees, tilting of veranda pillars and electric poles were observed at Gogi, Ahmedoon and Wam indicating that the tectonic forces acted in N-S direction. Arcuate type of cracks and fractures and ground shortening were observed on the Gogi-Kach-Wam road segment built on the dump filled strata along the causeways. Although the tremors were felt over an area of 300 sq.km., but the intensity between 6 to 7 was felt more between Wam, Verchum, Kan Depot & Kawas along both banks of Ziarat Manda in alignment with epicenters of the three major events along a hybrid fault parallel to Kawas Tangi fault. Wam village is the worst effected area in the region. The houses are totally collapsed as poorly constructed mud houses were built atop terraces of loose sediments along dangerous slopes without any reinforcement. Rock falls were observed at Mulla Roadzai, Kach, Ahmedoon, Gogi, Wam and Kawas Tangi near Zandra areas triggering cracks in the soft layers and rolling of more boulders due to snowball effect which might be hazardous in winter monsoon season.
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