The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck a remote part of southwestern Pakistan has jumped to 208 people, as rescue teams rush to the area.
The 7.7-magnitude quake hit in the Awaran district of Baluchistan province on Tuesday afternoon, destroying scores of mud-built houses.
The quake was strong enough to cause a mass 6-9 metres high to emerge from the Arabian Sea like a small mountain island off the coast of Gwadar, local police official Mozzam Jah said. A large number of people gathered to view the newly formed island, he said.
Large quakes can cause significant deformation to the earth's crust, particularly visible along coastlines.
The island is about 30 metres in diameter and about one mile off the coast, GEO TV reported.
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This image has been circulating on social media today. It purportedly shows a new island that has risen from the sea as a result of the powerful earthquake in Pakistan.
Zahid Rafi, principal seismologist for the National Seismic Monitoring Center, confirmed the island had formed. He said it was "not surprising," considering the magnitude of the earthquake.
But John Bellini, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said that generally it would be unlikely for such a large island to emerge from a quake like Tuesday's.
Many things, such as the tide, could come into play regarding the rise of the island, he said.
More than 1,000 troops will be sent to the area to provide aid, including rescue teams and medical teams, Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa said.
