dippu.com

Scientists' worst fears were realized earlier this morning when a earthquake that measured 7.4 on the richter scale hit in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. As of right now, things don't look as bad as the 2001 Gujurat Earthquake which killed 20,000 people or as bad as the most recent 9.0 Indian Ocean Earthquake in 2004 but Pakistani authorites say at least a thousand may have already died with many more casualties expected to be added later in the day.

BBC says that several villages has been wiped out:

The quake with a magnitude of at least 7.6 had the epicentre was 80km (50 miles) north-east of Islamabad.

At least 500 died in North-West Frontier province in Pakistan and 1,700 were injured. In Indian-administered Kashmir, 200 are confirmed dead.

Rescuers are trying to reach dozens of residents feared trapped in a building that collapsed in Islamabad.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who was visiting the site, said the quake was a "test of the nation".

Shortly after he spoke an aftershock struck Islamabad, forcing people from their homes.

The first tremor, which was registered at 0350 GMT, was felt by residents as far away as the Afghan capital, Kabul, and India's capital, Delhi.

This little line made me cringe a tad bit:

At least 20 injured people were pulled out but dozens are feared trapped. Rescuers are listening for cries from under the rubble.

One rescuer, Rehmatullah, said: "I rushed down and for some time you could not see anything because of the dust... We pulled out one man by cutting off his legs."

For those of you who have friends and family in North India and Pakistan as I do, I'm sure you felt the same way when you first saw the news that this had happend. BBC was using names like Noida and Gurugaon to describe places that were hit making me worry quite a bit. But word is that although the aftershocks and the tremors that were felt in Delhi and Chandigarh, there werent any casualties.

Certainly makes you pay attention to life, doesn't it?