MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Geological Upheaval - Pakistan's Mega-Quake Creates A New Island; Island Is 100 Feet In Diameter; At Least 46 Dead, Death Toll Expected To Rise; Many Homes Destroyed!

September 24, 2013 - PAKISTAN - A powerful earthquake in Pakistan has not only cost dozens of lives -- it also prompted the appearance of a small island off the coast, Pakistani officials said.

The appearance of a new island off Pakistan's coast.

The 7.7-magnitude quake struck in a remote area of southern Pakistan on Tuesday, but it had severe consequences.

At least 46 people were killed in Awaran in Balochistan province, provincial Home Secretary Asad Gilani said.

In addition to the fatalities, "dozens have been injured," Gilani said.

Officials fear people are trapped in rubble.

The quake was strong enough to cause a mass 20 to 30 feet high to emerge from the ocean 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 100 feet in diameter and about one mile off the coast, GEO TV reported.

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.

Devastation caused by an earthquake in the Awaran district of Balochistan on Sept. 24, 2013. People began
clearing the rubble on their own before any help could reach them. (Mujeeb Ahmed/NBC News)

Pakistani pedestrians and office workers leave an office building after an earthquake in Karachi on
September 24, 2013. (RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP/Getty Images)

Pakistani pedestrians and office workers gather on a street after an earthquake in Karachi on
September 24, 2013. (RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP/Getty Images)

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.

With a depth of about nine miles (about 15 kilometers), the quake struck 43 miles (69 kilometers) northeast of Awaran and 71 miles (114 kilometers) northwest of Bela, the U.S. Geological Survey said.


WATCH: Pakistan mega-quake creates new island. 

Some mud-walled homes fell in Awaran, said Latif Kakar, director of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Balochistan.

The tremors lasted two minutes. People flocked out onto the streets of Quetta, the provincial capital.

Aftershocks could be felt in Karachi, hundreds of miles to the southeast. - CNN.