BREAKING NEWS: Earthquake in Pakistan

Big quake shakes Pakistan, India

Saturday, October 8, 2005 Posted: 0526 GMT (1326 HKT)

(CNN) -- A major earthquake shook parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Casualties have been reported in parts of Pakistan, the country's Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad told CNN. One girl has been reported killed.

Part of a 19-story building collapsed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Police in the city of Lahore said at least eight people were injured and four shops were damaged, The Associated Press reported.

CNN's Satinder Bindra in the Indian capital of New Delhi said there were no reports yet of death or damage in India.

The quake hit Islamabad at about 8.50 a.m. local time (0350 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.6, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.

Dr David Applegate of the USGS told CNN the major quake was "quite shallow" and close to the surface.

The temblor's epicenter was 60 miles (about 100 kilometers) north-northeast of Islamabad and about six miles below the Earth's surface, according to the center's Web site.

"No reports of damage or casualties have been received at this time," said a statement released by the center. "However, this earthquake may have caused substantial damage and casualties due to its location and size."

A 7.6 quake is classified as major, according to the scale used by the center. Japan's Meteorological Agency judged the quake's magnitude as a 7.8.

Rescue workers were on the scene of the collapse in Islamabad, but there was no immediate word on casualties there, The Associated Press reported.

Buildings in Islamabad shook and walls swayed for about a minute at 8:50 a.m. local time (0350 GMT). Panicked people ran out of homes and offices in many cities. Slight tremors continued afterward.

The U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site that the quake had a magnitude of 7.6 and that its epicenter was in Pakistan.

Arif Mahmood, a seismological official in the northwestern city of Peshawar, said the earthquake was felt in many parts of Pakistan.

"It was a very strong earthquake," he said, according to AP.

Mohammed Hanif, another seismological official, said the quake appeared to have been strongest in Islamabad.

Local television said the quake caused panic in Islamabad, as well as nearby Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta near the Afghan border.

Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, also felt the temblor, fleeing their homes for fear they would collapse.

"We are calling all our officials in the provinces. But we haven't received any reports yet of casualties," said Saed Jawad Qanah, an official in Kabul with the disaster department of the Red Crescent Society, according to AP.

The tremor also affected northern India.

'`It was so strong that I saw buildings swaying. It was terrifying," Hari Singh, a guard in an apartment complex in the New Delhi suburb of Noida, told AP.

Hundreds of residents in the complex ran from their apartments after their beds and couches started shaking.

Latest news from wires.

A part of Margala Tower in F-10 sector has collapsed.

25 perish in Azad Kashmir earthquake fury

(Updated at 1235 PST)

ISLAMABAD: Severe jolts and jerks unleashed by high intensity of earthquakes that took Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and several areas of Azad Kashmir including other parts of the country by surprise reported to have wreaked havoc—killing at least 25 persons in Azad Kashmir, while a school building in Rawalpindi was raised to the ground wounding several girl-students and a 13 storied building in Lahore caved, in which, scores of people were reported to be entrapped besides Quetta, Bagram and other far flung Northern areas were also reported to have felt the tremors.

A British TV reported earthquake-hitting New Delhi also, where the tremors were witnessed for about 2 minutes. Several areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pardesh and Bihar in India also felt the jolts and shivers of the wide spread earthquakes, where buildings shuddered, people got horrified and started praying for safety.

Reports reaching here said that the people in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul had also felt the tremors.

A Washington report said that US Geological Survey recorded the intensity of the earthquake at 7.6 Richter scale, but Japan Metrological Agency claimed to have recorded it at 7.8.

Initial reports indicated that this might prove to be the worst of earthquakes that were experienced during the past several decades in these areas.

Pakistan Metrological Department told that these areas had suffered earthquake of the intensity of 6.2 Richter scale twenty years ago.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

Emergency clamped after earthquake rocks Peshawar

(Updated at 1310 PST)

PESHAWAR: The government here has clamped emergency forthwith in the wake of the earthquakes feared to have caused widespread damages in the province and ordered commencing relief works in the affected areas.

According to information thus far received here, at least 8 persons have been wounded including 4 children in different areas here who were admitted into Lady Reading Hospital immediately.

Northern Areas, Mansehra, Butgram, Kohistan and Swat were the hard hit areas of NWFP province, where most of the thatched houses caved in and injuries to scores of persons were reported. District Butgram was also reported to have suffered heavy loss of lives and property. The provincial government has pronounced emergency forthwith.

Chief Minister, Akram Khan Durrani has directed to start relief works on emergency basis in the affected areas.

According to Metrological Department, Peshawar underwent seven jolts during the consecutive waves of earthquakes.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

I pray for the safety of everyone regardless of where they are from. May Allah give Sabar to those who lost their loved ones, Ameen!

Quake hits 80% of Punjab and 70% of NWFP
(Updated at 1620 PST)
ISLAMABAD: The worst ever earthquakes in the history of this country rocking this morning has caused widespread distress to the people spanning over 80 percent of Punjab and 70 percent of the Frontier provinces, according to Metrological department.

Many villages were reportedly devastated, where it was feared to have taken a heavy toll of lives besides damages to property.

Sources told that 6 persons were killed and several injured in Murree alone, while the people kept coming to the hospital with the wounded on self help basis.

Geo correspondent told that Peshawar underwent 11 shocks of powerful tremors and still continuing intermittently, while Mansehra and Batgram suffered most both in terms of lives and property.

Besides, at least 40/50 houses of a village ‘Molian’ located in between Murree and Nathiagali have been totally destroyed. No relief team from the government has thus far reached here.

President, PM direct for speed up relief work in quake-hit areas
(Updated at 1600 PST)
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have issued directives to federal and provincial government for speeding up relief operations in quake-hit territories. They have appealed people to remain calm in this trying time.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz held a meeting with President Musharraf here after a major earthquake hit the federal capital Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other parts of the country. They discussed the situation after the quake.

President and prime minister received details of losses by the quake and issued directives to top officials for speeding up the relief operations.

President Musharraf has directed the Pakistan Army to provide assistance to the civil administration in the disaster-hit areas.

President and prime minister also ordered enforcement of emergency in military and civil hospitals and immediate medical aid to the injured persons.

President and prime minister also appealed the nation to remain calm. They also issued directives to authorities for assessment of losses in the disaster.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

Damage is really bad right now it looks like Islamabad is gone and lots of buildings in Lahore are as well. Its time for Musharraf to call on the world community to help rebuild. Sometimes i wonder if god really exists, i mean its ramzan thousands are dead.

This is a reminder to the people that God does exist. When people forget about God and lose fear of God, Azaab-e-Ilahi reminds them.

Oh man what an immense tragedy. An appeal to all members to help out with the relief efforts by donating generously (more so than any other time, this time our own country needs our help). I also hope and pray that all the loved ones of members and Pakistanis in those areas in general are fine. May Allah keep us all in His protection..ameen

AJK and some parts of NWFP seem to be worst hit. In Islamabad other than collapsed part of Margalla Towers it seems most buildings and houses survived.

Watch the Videos

http://www.geo.tv/important_events/e...ndex_vidz.html

May Allah Bless Pakistan.

Just found out my mom, and aunts are safe, Alhamdulillah!

May Allah forive us for the sins we committed.

My condolences and regrets to all of the victims.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by syed saad

Oh man what an immense tragedy. An appeal to all members to help out with the relief efforts by donating generously (more so than any other time, this time our own country needs our help). I also hope and pray that all the loved ones of members and Pakistanis in those areas in general are fine. May Allah keep us all in His protection..ameen

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Couldn't agree more.

http://www.islamic-relief.com/

http://www.muslimaid.org/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zain Abbass

Damage is really bad right now it looks like Islamabad is gone and lots of buildings in Lahore are as well. Its time for Musharraf to call on the world community to help rebuild. Sometimes i wonder if god really exists, i mean its ramzan thousands are dead.

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It looks like Islamabad is gone? Where did you hear that? Just one part of an apartment building collapsed in Islamabad.

Lots of buildings in Lahore as well? Few shops in a market collapsed.

Most damage occurred in villages closer to the epicenter.

It is claimed to be the worst earthquake in nearly a century but damage is minimal for such a strong earthquake (RS 7.6). At least I consider it a miracle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zain Abbass

Damage is really bad right now......... Sometimes i wonder if god really exists, i mean its ramzan thousands are dead.

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Zain,

It is a tragedy no doubt, but there certainly is Allah SWT and He clearly says in the Quran:

"002.155 Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

002.156 Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return".

Ramadan or no ramadan, this is qadr (or qismat).

Estimates more than a thousand dead right now, may well rise :( This was considerably more powerful than the Bam earthquake in Iran couple of years ago. RIP everyone.

Guys, in all likelihood the death toll will grow much higher unfortunately....the terrain in the Pakistani Kashmir is as such that all the communications have probably been impacted...so the authorities prob. have no idea aside from looking at things from the air...

Why the hell Geo and ARY still playing dramas and music programs? :mad:

Is there a Govt operated account where we can deposite money to help people?

Keep an eye on http://www.embassyofpakistan.org/. They may start collecting donations for this tragedy. Currently the web page shows a donations portal for Katrina....I suspect that will change.

Geo and ARY were with the story all moring but then went quiet around 1pm BST.

President's relief fund has been launched.

Aziz

Does anyone know how many helicopters Pakistan has in total that could take part in rescue reflief operations? I heard in some newsreports that so far 10 MI-17 were active. Is there any chance that number can be made higher. I'm from Azad Kashmir originally, and given the poor state of roads there, its seems very urgent that a substantial nr of helicopters are avaliable for the relief efforts. And Mansehra district, also doesnt have proper roads, most of them are also probably closed due to the landslides.

Another question, are there any airports/airstrips in AK and Mansehra disctrict that could be used by the C-130s involved in the relief operations?

The disaster is worse than you think. 90% of Muzzafarabad has been destroyed. I got this info from an army friend in GHQ.

The death toll is not going to be in the thousands but in tens of thousands.

The response of the government has been really slow. Clearly, the Government is not prepared to handle such a catastrophe. It took them 2 hours to get relief equipment to Margalla Towers and when Musharraf and Aziz visited the Towers, they stopped all relief work because of their security! While Musharraf was being interviewed, the Minister of State for the Interior, Shazad Waseem, was smiling in the background and jockeying hard to get as close to the front behind Musharraf so that he coud be on TV!

If this is the case in Islamabad, imagine what is happening in the rest of the country.

At least 200 Pakistani soldiers killed in quake: ISPR

(Updated at 2300 PST)

ISLAMABAD: At least 200 soldiers of Pakistan army were also killed in the Saturday quake in various parts of the country.

Spokesman for ISPR Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said that at least 200 Jawans and officers of Pakistan Army were also killed in quake, which rattled the different parts of country Saturday.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

PM Aziz sets up Rs one bn relief fund for earthquake victims

(Updated at 2150 PST)

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has established here on Saturday a relief fund of rupees one billion on emergency basis for earthquake victims.

While talking to journalist after reviewing rescue works for the victims, the prime minister said that the death toll from the calamity had reached hundreds; however, further rise in the number could not be ruled.

Much of the overall loss has occurred in Azad Kashmir.

He informed: “For the earthquake victims a relief fund of the President of Pakistan has also been opened.”

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Usman Shabbir

At least 200 Pakistani soldiers killed in quake: ISPR

(Updated at 2300 PST)

ISLAMABAD: At least 200 soldiers of Pakistan army were also killed in the Saturday quake in various parts of the country.

Spokesman for ISPR Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said that at least 200 Jawans and officers of Pakistan Army were also killed in quake, which rattled the different parts of country Saturday.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

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Many Army barracks along the LoC in AJK have been destroyed. A Brigadier has also been killed along with 5 other officers in addition to AT LEAST 200 Jawans.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Oct 8 (Reuters) - About 400 school children were killed in northwestern Pakistan when a quake struck the region on Saturday and their schools collapsed, police said.

"Three-hundred-and-fifty school children have been killed in a school in Mansehra district and 50 were killed in another school in the same district," said provincial police chief Riffat Pashar.

"The situation is very bad, the figure has gone to about 1,000 feared dead in North West Frontier province," he told Reuters.

10/08/05 16:36 ET

ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Around 200 Pakistani soldiers soldiers were killed in a major earthquake that struck northern Pakistan and India on Saturday, a military spokesman said as the death toll climbed well over a thousand nationwide.

The soldiers were stationed in the hardest-hit areas of Pakistan's North West Frontier, Northern Areas and Kashmir, the Himalayan region disputed with India.

"About 200 soldiers who have been deployed in those areas have been martyred," said Brigadier Shahjehan Ali Khan told Reuters.

10/08/05 17:53 ET

.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President George W. Bush offered condolences and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. was ready to help Pakistan and India after an earthquake on Saturday killed thousands near their northern border.

No Americans were immediately known to be among the injured or killed reported by officials following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, the State Department said. The quake also rattled portions of neighboring Afghanistan.

More than 18,000 U.S. forces are in Afghanistan, but no casualties or structural damage was reported by U.S. Central Command, spokesman Major. Richard McNorton said. No U.S. troops were conducting operations on the ground in Pakistan, he said.

Bush was briefed by aides at the White House on the quake.

``The thoughts and prayers of the president and the first lady are with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims,'' spokesman Ken Lisaius said.

Rice said she spoke with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India to convey sympathy and offer whatever assistance may be needed. She called the earthquake ``a terrible tragedy for the people of the region.''

``At this difficult time, the United States stands with its friends in Pakistan and India, just as they stood with us and offered assistance after Hurricane Katrina,'' Rice said in a statement.



10/08/05 13:59 EDT

NEW YORK, and GENEVA, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- UNICEF said it is supplying immediate assistance to the government of Pakistan in the wake of Saturday's massive earthquake, adding that in a region where one-fifth of the population is under age 5 the death toll among young children could be very high.

Just hours after the quake struck, UNICEF began moving supplies from a Karachi warehouse into the affected region. The supplies include blankets, clothing, tents, emergency medical supplies, food for infants, and water purification tablets. UNICEF will work closely with the Government of Pakistan to determine what additional relief supplies may be needed. UNICEF is standing by to mobilize needed supplies from its operations elsewhere in the region and from its global supply hub in Copenhagen.

Speaking from New York, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said that the agency is preparing for a response to match the scale of the disaster, noting that children make up half the population of the affected areas.

"Children in the affected areas will be vulnerable to hunger, cold, illness, and trauma," Veneman said. "Getting immediate life-saving relief into the region will be our priority for the next hours and days, even as the search and rescue effort goes on."

Teams will be deployed from UNICEF's Peshawar office in Pakistan's North West Province early on Sunday morning into the countryside as part of a joint UN response team. A quarter of the population in the area hit by the quake is under the poverty line, with limited resources to cope with disaster.

Omar Abdi, the head of UNICEF's operations in Pakistan, said that UNICEF and WHO are providing logistics support and supplies to the surgical teams sent by the Pakistan Government to care for the most badly injured.

UNICEF said that emotional trauma will be an important concern, especially for children. Many people are likely to be too frightened to sleep in their houses or apartments tonight because of aftershocks. Schools that were not damaged or destroyed will likely remain closed or disrupted for several days but the agency said that returning children to school as soon as possible will be important to their recovery.

UNICEF has staff, supplies, and ongoing operations in each of the three countries affected by the earthquake. In Pakistan, UNICEF focuses on maternal and child health, education, water and sanitation, and protection of children from exploitation. In 2003, UNICEF worked closely with Pakistani authorities after devastating floods hit Sindh province and affected more than 800,000 people.

"This is more sad news in a year that has seen more than enough already," Veneman said. "We are very concerned about children in the affected areas of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. We'll do whatever we can to help them, their families, and their governments."

To make a donation, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4-UNICEF.

SOURCE UNICEF

10/08/2005 13:46 ET

ANKARA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Turkey said it had sent two military planes to Pakistan carrying aid, doctors and rescue workers to help victims of a major earthquake that struck northern Pakistan and India on Saturday.

The planes' cargo included 21 rescue workers, 30 medical personnel, two ambulances, one transport vehicle and a towing

truck, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Turkey's Red Crescent has asked for three more planes to take aid to the quake victims, it said.

Turkey's military General Staff, government ministries, civil defence officials and Red Crescent are coordinating their relief effort with Pakistan's embassy in Ankara, the statement said.

Well over 1,000 people were killed in northern Pakistan and India in the 7.6 magnitude quake, the region's strongest in living memory. The death toll is expected to climb further.

Muslim Turkey, which is also very prone to earthquakes, has warm ties with Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf spent part of his youth in Turkey and speaks some Turkish.

10/08/05 18:55 ET

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
.c The Associated Press

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - A massive earthquake triggered landslides, toppled an apartment building and flattened villages of mud-brick homes near the border between Pakistan and India on Saturday, killing more than 3,000 people in a wide swath of devastation. Pakistan's dead included 250 girls crushed by rubble when their school collapsed, and 200 soldiers on duty in Kashmir.

For hours, aftershocks from the 7.6-magnitude quake rippled across the region as rescue teams struggled to clear piles of debris in a desperate search for survivors. Hospitals evacuated quake victims, some hooked up to intravenous drips, onto their lawns, fearing tremors could cause more damage. As night fell, rain and hail disrupted the recovery effort.

Pakistan absorbed most of the destruction. In the northern town of Mansehra, a shopowner named Haji Fazal Ilahi stood vigil over the body of his 14-year-old daughter, which lay under a sheet on a hospital mattress. He said his wife, a daughter and a brother also perished in the debris of their home.

``I could see rocks and homes tumbling down the mountains,'' said Ilahi, who was driving to his village of Garlat when the quake struck. ``When I reached my village, there was nothing left of my home.''

In a show of solidarity, India offered assistance and condolences to its longtime rival, Pakistan. The neighbors, which are engaged in a peace process, have fought three wars since independence from British rule in 1947, two of them over the divided region of Kashmir that was devastated in the quake.

``While parts of India have also suffered from this unexpected natural disaster, we are prepared to extend any assistance with rescue and relief which you may deem appropriate,'' Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message to Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

A senior Pakistani army official said 200 soldiers died in Pakistani Kashmir. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. About 1,000 civilians died in the region, said Sardar Mohammed Anwar, the top government official in the area.

``This is my conservative guess, and the death toll could be much higher,'' Anwar told Pakistan's Aaj television station. He said most homes in Muzaffarabad, the area's capital, were damaged, and schools and hospitals collapsed.

At least 1,600 people died in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, said Akram Durani,the province's top elected official. Ataullah Khan Wazir, police chief in the northwestern district of Mansehra, said authorities there pulled the bodies of 250 students from a girls' school that collapsed.

``This tragic incident happened in Ghari Habibibullah,'' a district village, he said. About 500 students were injured. Dozens of children were feared killed in other schools.

In the capitals of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute, and panicked people ran from their homes and offices. Communications throughout the region were cut.

``It is a national tragedy,'' said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan's chief army spokesman. ``This is the worst earthquake in recent times.''

The United Nations said it was working with Pakistan, Afghanistan and India on an emergency response to the quake.

The U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site that the quake hit at 8:50 a.m. local time and had a magnitude of 7.6. It was centered about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Islamabad in the forested mountains of Pakistani Kashmir.

Damage was extensive in Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory divided between India and Pakistan. Officials in the Indian-controlled portion reported at least 250 people killed, including 20 soldiers who perished in a landslide. At least 800 people were injured and about 2,700 homes were destroyed or damaged across Jammu-Kashmir, said senior state official B.B. Vyas.

Army soldiers and local volunteers rescued people from under the debris of collapsed houses. Telephone lines were down. Bridges had developed cracks, but traffic was passing over them.

Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz ordered the Pakistani military to extend ``all-out help'' to quake-hit areas and appealed to the nation to stay calm. Helicopters and C-130 transport planes took troops and supplies to damaged areas, but landslides were hindering rescue efforts.

The quake brought down a 10-story apartment building in Islamabad, and at least 10 people died. The dead included an Egyptian diplomat, hospital doctors said. The Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said two Japanese died. At least 126 survivors were being treated in hospitals.

A man named Rehmatullah who lived nearby said he saw dust from the buckled building from his bathroom window.

``I rushed down, and for some time you could not see anything because of the dust. Then we began to look for people in the rubble,'' he said. ``We pulled out one man by cutting off his legs.''

``It was like hell,'' said Nauman Ali, who lived in a nearby top-floor apartment. ``I was tossed up in my bed and the ceiling fan struck against the roof.''

Aided by two large cranes, hundreds of police and soldiers helped remove chunks of concrete, one of which was splattered with blood. One rescue worker said he initially heard faint cries from people trapped in the rubble.

In Abbotabad, north of Islamabad, dozens of injured quake victims and other patients lay on the lawn of the city hospital as staff with loudspeakers appealed to the public for food and other relief supplies.

One of the injured was an 8-year-old boy, Qadeer, whose father, a farmer named Jehangir, said the only buildings left standing in their village were a mosque and a school. Qadeer lay unconscious, his right leg heavily bandaged.

Authorities brought dozens of bodies to a damaged sports stadium in Muzaffarabad, and laid them on the ground under sheets.

In eastern Afghanistan, an 11-year-old girl was crushed to death when a wall in her home collapsed, said police official Gafar Khan.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said the quake was felt at Bagram, the main American base in Afghanistan, but he had no reports of damage at bases around the country.

The quake also jolted parts of Bangladesh, but no casualties or damage were reported there.

AP reporters Munir Ahmad, Sadaqat Jan, Riaz Khan and Asif Shahzad contributed to this report.



10/08/05 14:54 EDT

By Robert Birsel

ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Rescue workers scrambled through the ruins of an apartment complex in the Pakistani capital on Saturday after a major earthquake brought two blocks of flats crashing down on dozens of residents.

Up to 100 people were believed trapped beneath the rubble of the Margala Towers blocks where expatriate workers and middle-class Pakistanis lived. An official overseeing the rescue later said 82 survivors had been recovered, as well as 11 bodies.

"I've seen mutilated bodies, I've seen people alive but crushed," said a Pakistani army officer, taking a break from the rescue, who gave his name as Captain Asam.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck at about 8.50 a.m. (0350 GMT), shaking homes in the capital and across northern Pakistan, as well as parts of neighbouring Afghanistan and India.

The quake was centred in forested mountains of Pakistani Kashmir, near the Indian border, about 95 km (60 miles) northeast of Islamabad.

More than 1,000 people were confirmed as dead across the region and the toll was expected to rise.

Two Japanese, a man and a child, were killed in the collapsed apartments and one Japanese woman was injured, a hospital official said. One Egyptian was killed and one wounded. Two Bosnians and two Sudanese were also injured, the official said.

The final toll from the collapsed flats would only be known when all the debris was cleared, and that might take 24 hours, said the rescue official, who declined to speculate on how many people might still be in the ruins.

A driving rain fell after dark as heavy diggers tugged huge chunks of rubble off a mound of collapsed, compacted apartment floors. Flood lights illuminated the site as lightning flashed across the sky and the debris was trucked away.

Earlier, hundreds of people gathered to watch. A sobbing woman clutching a child looked on in shock as police tried to clear the way for heavy moving equipment.

Among those watching the rescue were anxious friends and relatives of the tenants.

"My friends are still in there," said one woman, Ayan Durani. "There are children in there. If there are air pockets under the rubble they might still be alive. We can't declare them dead."

Officials told Reuters the two blocks that collapsed had contained 75 apartments.

"COMPLETE CHAOS"

Mohsin Jilani, a worker at a foreign bank in Islamabad, said he had rushed to the apartment complex to try to help friends minutes after the first tremor.

A strong after-shock brought the blocks down, he said.

"People were running down and after five seconds it just collapsed," Jilani said.

Some of those watching the rescue were getting frustrated with what appeared to be a very slow operation.

"It was complete chaos," Jawad Sadiq, who also had a friend under the rubble, said of the situation soon after the apartments collapsed when he was trying to find his friend.

"We don't have proper equipment," said Jilani, who saw six debris-crushed bodies while searching for his friend. He later learned that his friend was lying dead, pinned in by rubble.

"We don't have the capacity. This is the first time," said Captain Asam when he was challenged by some fretting friends of those missing, before being rushed away by a colleague, back towards the pile of rubble.

Earlier, President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited the site.

"It is a test for all of us. It is a test for me, of the prime minister, of the government and of the entire nation and I am sure we will succeed," Musharraf said.

10/08/05 19:18 ET

LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Britain is sending search and rescue experts, sniffer dogs and aid workers to help Pakistan with the aftermath of Saturday's earthquake, officials said.

"We offered immediate assistance to the government of Pakistan which they have accepted," International Development Minister Hilary Benn said.

A first search and rescue team left London's Heathrow airport early on Saturday evening and a second plane was due to leave later from East Midlands airport near Nottingham.

The second plane would include rescue teams and sniffer dogs from aid agencies and fire brigades as well as consular staff and humanitarian supplies such as blankets, the Department for International Development said.

It was due to arrive at an air base in Islamabad at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday.

"We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and are ready to support the Pakistani authorities further, should they need our assistance," Benn said.



10/08/05 19:43 ET

By Mian Khursheed

MANSEHRA, Pakistan, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When the earthquake struck, Pakistani villager Fazal Elahi thought it was the end of the world. For his family, it was.

Grieving quietly next to the body of his 14-year-old daughter, Elahi recounted how his wife and brother had died when their house collapsed and how he had taken his fatally injured daughter to Mansehra Hospital in North West Frontier Province.

"When the earthquake came it was like Judgement Day," Elahi said, recalling the horror of houses collaping all around him.

To get to the hospital some 46 km (30 miles) away, Elahi passed through Balakot, a town of around 20,000 people, where the scale of the devastation became even more apparent.

"Houses in Balakot city were flattened."

The white-bearded old man finally reached the hospital, but his daughter died in his arms as they went through the gates.

A villager from Hillkot, some 60 km from Mansehra, had a similar story -- only his daughter was alive.

"All houses in my village have collapsed and about 500 people are still buried under the debris," said Luqman after carrying his child into the hospital.

His wife was killed.

Inside the hospital, medical staff were overwhelmed. Just eight doctors, helped by a similar number of nurses, struggled to cope with around 800 people crammed into wards, corridors and laid out in the courtyard.

Mansehra's residents helped them treat victims streaming in from the outlying areas. So far 15 people had died in the hospital, but the corridors were full of talk of tragedies elsewhere in this remote part of North West Frontier Province.

People spoke of hundreds of children caught by the quake as they began school in Mansehra and Balakot.

"The roads have been blocked since morning, but we have received up to 900 people," said Dr. Siddiq Ur-Rehman as more cars carrying victims pulled up in the driving rain outside the hospital.

He said emergency services hadn't been able to reach the villages and feared for the worst. "I fear that the casualties from nearby areas will be very high."

Officials in North West Frontier said the death toll had already risen well past 1,000, while those in Pakistan's part of the disputed region of Kashmir said they believed their area had been hit even harder.

10/08/05 19:48 ET

ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Rescue workers extracted 82 people alive and 10 dead from beneath the rubble of two apartment blocks destroyed by a major earthquake on Saturday in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, a government official said.

Working under searchlights in driving rain, rescuers used digging equipment and heavy machinery to reach victims. They planned to work through the night as it was uncertain how many people were still trapped under the ruined multi-storey blocks, an Interior Ministry official at the scene said.

"We have recovered 92. Of the 92, 10 were found dead," the official, requesting aonymity, said. Some of the injured were critically njured. Doctors said three of the dead were foreigners, including an Egyptian and two Japanese.

10/08/05 18:31 ET

By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER
.c The Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations will send an emergency coordination team to Pakistan later Saturday to begin relief efforts after a massive earthquake left more than 2,300 people dead in southern Asia, an official said.

Six senior staff members of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will leave Geneva to set up a center for coordinating the global body's emergency response, said spokesman Elisabeth Byrs. A crisis expert from the U.N. health agency also will be deployed, she said.

``These are our top coordination officials,'' Byrs told The Associated Press. ``At least two of the staff we sent have experience from dealing with the (Indian Ocean) tsunami.''

Byrs said the seven will be traveling onboard a Swiss airplane and would arrive early Saturday morning in Islamabad. Two would stay at the airport to establish a center there. The other five will head directly to ``the most affected areas,'' bringing laptops, cell phones and other electronics needed for setting up relief infrastructure, she said.

The U.N. might send more staff to Pakistan on Sunday, she said.

The international Red Cross said it also was busily preparing an emergency response in case Pakistan asked for assistance.

Earlier Saturday, two local Pakistan Red Crescent groups were deployed to Pakistan's northwest frontier and another one to Kashmir to assess the damage, said Marie-Francoise Borel, spokeswoman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

``We're hoping to have some idea of the number of dead, number of homeless and the level of damage sometime on Sunday,'' Borel said. ``We need to know if entire villages have been destroyed, do they have access to clean water and do they need food.''

The Geneva-based federation already has released 200,000 Swiss francs for immediate aid and ``was preparing an international response if Pakistan says they need our help,'' she said.



10/08/05 16:09 EDT

The earthquake was in Pakistan the neighbors were affected but not as badly, Are they calling this an Asian quake because it was in Kashmir?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapc...tan/index.html
Death toll in Asian quake tops 1,300

(CNN) -- Emergency workers are working through the night to pull out the trapped, treat the injured and feed the homeless survivors of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that devastated the south Asian subcontinent Saturday.

The confirmed death toll in India and Pakistan stands at 1,337, with Pakistan bearing the brunt. More than 1,000 of the deaths have been reported in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and the death toll is feared to rise much higher.

One death was reported near the Pakistan border in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where several homes collapsed.

The quake hit Saturday at 8:50 a.m. (11:50 p.m. ET Friday). Its epicenter was about 60 miles north-northeast of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Many people were still in their beds when the quake struck. Witness Malik Abdul Manan said he and his family "woke up and ran out. The shocks went on for a long time." (Full story)

Qamar Uz Zaman, director-general of the Pakistani Meteorological Department, told CNN that "this was the strongest earthquake in the area during the last hundred years."

The quake ripped through remote but populous towns as well as major cities, including Islamabad, India's capital of New Delhi and the Pakistani city of Lahore.

A series of aftershocks, including one of 6.3 magnitude and four at more than 5.4, renewed panic. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, many people refused to return indoors.

Frantic efforts to rescue survivors were under way in Islamabad. Video footage from Pakistani television showed crowds of people climbing on the rubble of an apartment building and attempting to free those trapped under large concrete slabs. Some of the injured were carried away on stretchers.
Relief began within 'minutes'

Political tensions between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region took a back seat Saturday as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to offer help. Musharraf thanked him for his offer.

Musharraf called the quake "a major catastrophe" and said that "relief efforts began minutes" after it happened.

Pakistan's military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told CNN it was the largest relief operation the country has ever mobilized.

Tents, sleeping bags, blankets, water, food and a lot of help were arriving from all over the country and overseas, said Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

"The government has moved quickly, and we hope that we can minimize the losses," he said.

The United States, Britain, Germany, Turkey, Japan, the United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian groups have marshaled resources to help the region.
Most deaths in Kashmir

Of the 1,080 deaths confirmed in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, 520 were in North-West Frontier province, 310 in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and 50 in the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Also, 200 Pakistani soldiers were killed in Kashmir and northern areas of Pakistan, and 300 others were injured, Sultan told CNN.

The figures come from police, the Interior Ministry and hospitals.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, or Jammu-Kashmir, at least 256 people were killed, including 36 soldiers, according to local government, army and police officials.

Some 700 people were injured there, including 82 soldiers, police and military said. And local officials estimate more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged across Jammu-Kashmir.

The disputed Kashmir territory is separated by a territorial border called the Line of Control. India controls Jammu-Kashmir, and Pakistan controls Azad Kashmir.

In New Delhi, some 400 miles from Islamabad, buildings swayed and furniture moved, causing people to panic and rush into the streets. The Indian government activated its national disaster plan.

Damage and casualties also were reported in remote northeast Afghanistan.

Technical Sgt. Marina Evans, speaking for the U.S.-led coalition forces in Kabul, said the earthquake was felt in the Afghan capital of Kabul, "but the effects were minimal," she said. "Items on desks shook, but nothing fell from the walls or shelves."

U.S. Central Command confirmed that no coalition assets were damaged, and no one was injured.
Frantic rescue operation

Musharraf and Aziz reviewed rescue and relief operations at the collapsed apartment building -- the 10-story residential Margalla Tower.

About 100 people were trapped in the rubble, CNN's Satinder Bindra reported. So far, 25 bodies have been pulled out as well as eight survivors, who were rushed to the hospital.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and senior military and civilian officials, were overseeing the operations and briefed the leaders.

The government said Pakistan Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Administration and Capital Development Authority took part in the operations.

City officials are trying to obtain heavy earth and rubble moving machinery from the private sector to help rescue the trapped people.
Landslides follow quake

The quake triggered landslides, resulting in the closure of some highways, officials said.

The quake was "quite shallow," said David Applegate, senior science advisor for earthquake and geologic hazards for the U.S. Geological Survey. "That means the shaking is going to be very intense."

The fact that Islamabad was near the epicenter "means a fairly large urban population has experienced some strong shaking," Applegate said.

The National Earthquake Information Center put the quake at 7.6 magnitude, which it considers "major." The Pakistani Meteorological Department put the magnitude at 7.5, and Japan's Meteorological Agency put it at 7.8.

In February 2004, a pair of earthquakes registering 5.5 and 5.4 magnitude killed at least 21 people and injured dozens more and destroyed hundreds of homes built of mud, stone and timber in a rugged, mountainous area about 90 miles northwest of Islamabad.

In January 2001, some 30,000 people died in a magnitude 7.7 quake in western India.

assalamaoalukum,

My sister called my mom last night and earthquake had just struck. She was hysterical but managed to talk for a while. She reported that the earthquake was very powerful and the entire house shook as if it was about to collapse. Alhamdullilah my family was saved by the most merciful. I told her to leave and go to Sialkot but she said even there people felt tremors and they have decided to camp out. My heart goes out to everyone who lost their lives. May Allah forgive this nation for their sins.

assalamaoalaukum,

according to ARY news USA is offering helicoters (and personnel?) for rescue efforts.

Heavy rains, hailstorm hamper relief work in rattled areas
(Updated at 0045 PST)
ISLAMABAD: Intermittent stormy rains followed by hailstorm started in rattled areas of the country hampering rescue operations and relief activities.

According to Geo TV, heavy rains followed by hailstorm started in Saturday evening, which hampered rescue operations and relief activities, plunging the quake-affected people into further miseries.


MQM leader Sattar along with medical team arrive Islamabad
(Updated at 0020 PST)
KARACHI: Mutehda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and delegation of its Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation backed by medical staff along with medicines have reached Islamabad to rescue the earthquake victims.

Incharge MQM’s media committee Syed Saif Abass said: “ MQM’s parliamentary leader Dr. Farooq Sattar along with a team of medical doctors has reached Islamabad.”

The delegation would meet with Prime Minsiter Shaukat Aziz and will hand over a cheque of Rs 5 million to him for the presidential relief fund for the earthquake victims, he told. While, another delegation of MQM made up of ten doctors of the party’s medical academy would join rescue and aid work in the affected areas.

Medicines would also be distributed amongst the victims.

Manmohan phones Musharraf, expresses grief over quake casualties
(Updated at 0020 PST)
ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday talked to Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf via telephone and expressed his deep sense of grief over the loss of precious lives in quake.

Expressing his heartfelt sympathies with victim families, Manmohan Singh offered aid for the quake affectees.


Death toll from Pakistani earthquake over 3000: Official
(Updated at 2350 PST)
ISLAMABAD: The death toll from the worst ever earthquake in Pakistan has increased beyond 3000 including 1660 alone in North-West Frontier province, according to Pakistani officials.

Amongst those killed in NWFP were male and female students.

At least 200 soldiers of Pakistan Army have also died in the calamity and 300 other soldiers injured, according to reports.

Pakistna Army spokesman Sahukat Sultan told that the earthquake has also caused a heavy loss to the military infrastructure.

More serious massive losses were also been caused to country’s different areas, the spokesman said.

65 persons killed in Kaghan Valley landsliding
(Updated at 2330 PST)
ISLAMABAD: At least 65 persons were killed due to landsliding in Kaghan Valley after strong quake jolted several parts of the country on Saturday morning.

According to reports, all these people were offering funeral prayers of a person who died in quake earlier in Saturday morning.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

Tower declared dangerous ten months ago: Ejaz

ISLAMABAD (PPI) - Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ejazul Haq while visiting the ill-fated Margalla tower on Saturday disclosed that the Margalla Tower was declared dangerous ten months ago.
But the people were not willing to evacuate apartments because of high purchased price he told reporters.
Margalla Tower ‘s most expensive apartments of the capital city in the sector F-10 Markaz having the Rs 10 million each apartment.
The material used in the construction of the tower was insufficient that resulted in such a bad incident in the history of Capital City, Ejaz further added. The minister was shocked about missing family of one of his friend living in the ill-fated tower.
APP adds: Minister for Religious Affairs Ejazul Haq on Saturday said all blocks of Haji Camp at Golra More have been evacuated to house the earthquake affectees.
During his visit to the site of the collapsed building here, he said the affectees would also be provided free food in the camp.
Ejazul Haq said it is a challenging time and asked the people to face this situation with courage.
The Minister said the authorities reacted promptly and the rescue operations started immediately after the earthquake. The agencies were coordinating in the relief operation, he added.
All resources would be made available for the rescue work, he said.
He appreciated Armed Forces, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad police and volunteers for their contribution towards rescue and relief operation, which may continue for another four days.
To a question, he said an effective strategy was being pursued to tackle the situation effectively and rescue the survivors of the building.
One section of the ten-storey Margalla Towers Saturday collapsed following a 7.6 magnitude Richter scale earthquake that also rattled the northern parts of the country.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the devastating earthquakes also caused widespread sufferings to the people, spanning over 80 per cent of Punjab and 70 per cent of the Frontier province.
According to Metrological department, many villages were reportedly devastated in different areas of the country.
Federal Capital underwent around 12 powerful earthquake shocks, which were continuing till evening.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/oct-2...ionalnews1.php