[Washington Post] Authorities in Pakistan were facing a rising death toll Wednesday, a day after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck a remote region of southwestern Pakistan, a temblor so powerful it created a new, albeit probably temporary, island in the Arabian Sea.Blow up another church, you Islamic bastards, and see what happens.
The quake was centered in the impoverished and sparsely populated province of Baluchistan and appeared to have leveled entire villages. On Wednesday, Pakistan's army rushed 1,000 soldiers, helicopters, food and medicine to the area as officials braced for a grim and long-lasting rescue operation.
Authorities reported at least 325 deaths, but that figure is expected to rise as workers sift through thousands of collapsed homes, many made of dried mud.
"The devastation in these areas is massive," Jaan Muhammad Baledi, a spokesman for the Baluchistan government, told Pakistan's Geo TV. "The quake affected areas that are remote, and there are few roads which lead to them. Conditions are bad, thus making it difficult for relief activities."