October 8, 2005
WHICH PUTS THE GULF IN PERSPECTIVE:
Large rise in Pakistan quake toll (BBC, 10/09/05)
Pakistan says more than 18,000 have been killed by Saturday's powerful earthquake that also hit northern India and Afghanistan.Posted by Orrin Judd at October 8, 2005 11:05 PMThe 7.6-magnitude quake, with an epicentre 80km (50 miles) north-east of Islamabad, flattened entire villages.
Another 40,000 people are believed to be injured, said military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan.
Am sure you meant both gulfs, if not more.
Posted by: ghostcat at October 8, 2005 11:44 PMCould it be that UBL has finally met his end in this disaster? We can only pray!
Posted by: obc at October 8, 2005 11:46 PMThis is why my first reaction to the '10,000 dead' in New Orleans was skepticism. For whatever its faults, New Orleans is a first-world city. By way of example, a few years ago a low-6 Richter Scale earthquake struck Paso Robles in California. Two were killed (by a collapsed brick storefront in the old part of downtown). A few weeks later, in Iran (Qum?), an earthquake of identical magnitude killed something like 20,000 or more.
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at October 9, 2005 1:54 AM