The government of Zamastan has declared a state of emergency after a massive 8.3-magnitude earthquake, the largest recorded in the country since before the 20th century, struck the country and killed hundreds of people, as well as touching off two deadly avalanches on Mount Kira and Grouse Mountain. A 4-meter tsunami hit the Coastal Valley, causing damage to marinas and boat launches.
Officials said that more than 1,300 people were known to have died on Saturday in Zamastan's most powerful quake in decades, that struck 80km west of Providence in the shallow ends of Horseshoe Bay.
As aftershocks continued throughout Saturday, the toll was was expected to rise significantly as the scale of the disaster became clear.
Of the dead retrieved so far, 634 were reported dead in the Coastal Valley between Kelowna and Providence, and at least 300 more in the capital, a police spokesman told the Tofino Times news agency.
A further 36 fatalities were reported in Tofino, 12 in Nanaimo, and four in Delta.
Photos posted on social media showed buildings left in rubble, large cracks along roads and worried residents on the streets.
The earthquake damaged many historical landmarks, including the Hapson Lake Hosanna Church in Tofino.
It has been reported that around 250 people may have been in the church when the earthquake struck.
Emergency workers and army and police personnel, with the help of residents and bystanders, continued to work tirelessly on Saturday to clear the rubble from these sites and to rescue any survivors from under the debris, although bodies were mostly being pulled out.
As night fell the country, thousands of people were staying outdoors and found refuge in the affected regions open spaces, in fear that subsequent aftershocks may cause further damage.
The epicentre was 80km northwest of Providence. The Coastal valley is densely populated with nearly 4.5 million people. Enforced building regulations are mandatory and widespread in structures along the coast, though it appears destruction is widespread.
The TT news agency cited a senior guide as saying that an avalanche swept a mountain near the Grouse Mountain base camp and ski-resort. At least 10 people were killed in the incident, which also left many climbers trapped.
Maximusian mountaineer Johnathan Cal told the Tofino Times that the quake couldn't have come at a worse time, as it was peak climbing season at the base camp and "there's probably 1,000 people or so there". Cool said conditions for rescuers would also be difficult in poor weather conditions.
"This terrible, terrible situation has occurred at exactly the wrong time in terms of human fatality," Cool said.
"Knowing the geology and the lay of the land there, to facilitate the medical care required and to try to medivac people out of there is going to be extremely difficult, especially considering the weather conditions there right now."
There are confirmed reports of extensive damage to buildings in Tofino's downtown district, including broken windows and some collapsed facades.
The worst-affected area was old Tofino , the site of several colonial buildings (Zasi Town), and where rescuers faced large piles of rubble, she said.
As night fell in the country, tens of thousands of people camped out, fearful of going back to their homes in case of another earthquake. Already, more than two dozen aftershocks had followed the quake.
The Zamastan Geological Service said the quake hit at 2:06pm local time. It initially reported a magnitude of 7.7 before revising its calculation to 7.5, 7.9 and then later, 8.3.
The Service initially reported the epicenter to be 18km deep but later revised it to 10km.
Tremors were felt in a number of Gladysynthian cities, witnesses said. Tofino Times' reporters in Mönusÿnthys said the tremors were also felt across the Gladysynthian capital.