PESHAWAR: A Pakistani TV anchor broke the internet this week after a video of him continuing to read a news bulletin amid a powerful earthquake late on Tuesday evening was shared widely on social media.
At least 10 people were killed and over 60 injured in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Tuesday night when a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the South Asian country.
In a video that has gone viral on social media since, young TV anchor Shah Faisal, 30, can be seen reading the news when tremors start to shake the studio. Instead of running to safety, the journalist, who works for Pashto-language Mashriq TV in KP's provincial capital Peshawar, breaks the news of the earthquake.
"The cameraman had already fled while I was here in the studio," Faisal, who hails from Mardan city, told Arab News in an interview at the studio. "I was speaking, but in my mind, I kept thinking, 'What will happen now?' Our studio is on the fifth floor and it was shaking a lot, there were a lot of jolts."
Before the quake struck, Faisal was reading a news story about Prime Minister Shehbaz during the 09:00 p.m. bulletin. Next, Faisal can be seen swaying from side to side. Numerous LED TVs in the background and his own laptop are also seen shaking as another man scurried out of the studio behind the anchorman who continued with the bulletin.
One of the two producers working with him fled for safety, Faisal said. The second one took over and told him to break the news of the earthquake.
Faisal said he initially thought the earthquake would be of a similar nature to a “milder” one that had taken place in KP around two months ago.
"This one was very severe and its duration was longer too," Faisal said, adding that the quake "frightened" him.
After the jolts, Faisal immediately called home to inquire after his family and learnt that his father was watching him on TV as the earthquake occurred.
Faisal has since been reading comments on social media about his viral video. Almost 90% of them are encouraging while the remaining are critical of his choice to continue with the bulletin rather than run for cover.
"But it is our belief that life and death is in the hands of Allah," Faisal said.
"And on the day that we are decreed to leave here [this world], we will leave on that day. I had faith and praise be to Allah, he gave me encouragement."
