Dr Minhaj was a Year 10 student when the magnitude 7.6 earthquake devastated his hometown in 2005.
That earthquake, considered the deadliest ever recorded in South Asia, claimed the lives of over 87,000 people, including many of Dr Minhaj’s friends and acquaintances.
It also left millions of people homeless.
Highlights:
- The magnitude 5.8 earthquake reported in Victoria brought back painful memories for 2005 quake survivor Dr Minhaj
- The 2005 Kashmir earthquake killed more than 87,000 people
- Dr Minhaj recently completed his PhD in civil engineering
Painful memories
Dr Minhaj said he had been attending a meeting in Melbourne’s city centre when the earthquake struck on 22 September.
Videos and images shared on social media showed structural damage to buildings in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, including Prahran and South Yarra.
Dr Minhaj said the quake jolted back memories of 2005.
“I pray for all Australians that they may not see such a tragic day in their lives.”
He had been taking an exam-prep class when the earthquake hit, he said, and the next thing he knew everybody was running for their lives.
“In a matter of seconds, the whole city was reduced to rubble.
“I was traumatised. I couldn't understand what had happened to me or the city."
According to Dr Minhaj, the city was old and poorly planned, so many people were struck down by fallen walls and debris as they fled.
“Wherever I passed, I could hear people crying out from under the rubble but there was no one to help,” he said.
For hours Dr Minhaj was unable to find my parents or siblings. It was as if city had been razed from the face of the earth.
"There were no more streets or footpaths. All you could see was rubble," he said.
Dr Minhaj was eventually reunited with this family, but they were forced to reside in a tent camp for more than six months.
Two years later, after completing high school, he enrolled to study civil engineering. Dr Minhaj said he was inspired by the thought of building earthquake-resistant structures.
Chapel Street in Melbourne, Wednesday, 22 September, 2021. An earthquake has been reported in Victoria and tremors were felt as far away as Canberra and Sydney. Source: AAP/James Ross
Minhaj completed his Master's degree in Pakistan, before completing a PhD in civil engineering at RMIT Melbourne on a post-graduate scholarship earlier this year.
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