Deadly Pakistan earthquake may have created a new island off the coast

When a deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Pakistan on Tuesday, it caused destruction across the remote, mountainous Awaran District. However, at the same time, it also seems to have performed an act of creation, as it apparently formed a new island just off the country's southern coast.

According to reports, the new island is small, rising between 6 and 12 metres above the water, and it's estimated at around 30 metres wide. It's located in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Gwadar, about 75 kilometres east of the Iran-Pakistan border.

Video of the island showed up on Pakistani media shortly after the earthquake:

[ More Geekquinox: Powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes southern Pakistan ]

Officials are investigating the island's sudden appearance. Earthquakes can certainly cause the ocean floor to rise and fall (this being the cause of tsunamis), but it's possible that this is the first time anyone has seen it create a new island.

(Image courtesy: PakistanTV/YouTube)

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