Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Hundreds die in South Asia quake 
 
Damage is extensive, officials say


The quake's impact 
Pakistan says more than 1,000 people may have died in a powerful quake that also hit north India and Afghanistan.
The 7.6-magnitude quake with the epicentre 80km (50 miles) north-east of Islamabad wiped out several villages.

At least 500 died in North-West Frontier province in Pakistan. More than 450 died on both sides of the disputed territory of Kashmir.

In Islamabad, people rushed to dig with bare hands to rescue those trapped when a tall residential building collapsed.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who was visiting the site, said the quake was a "test of the nation".



Map of earthquake
The earthquake, which was registered at 0350 GMT, was felt by residents as far away as the Afghan capital, Kabul, and India's capital, Delhi. Several aftershocks followed.

Severed legs

Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, President's Musharraf's spokesman, told the BBC: "I would say it is massive damage that has been caused. I would say that the casualties may not be hundreds - but much more."

  I could only do one thing which was to pick people out of the rubble and with my bare hands I started to dig

Karam Usmani
Islamabad police officer


Eyewitness: 'Cries haunt me'
Send us your comments 

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told local television: "We have reports that several entire villages have been wiped out."

The head of police in the North West Frontier Province told AFP news agency "between 550 and 600" people had died and the figure was likely to rise.

In Pakistani-controlled Kashmir 250 bodies have been recovered of the more than 2,000 feared dead, an official told the BBC from the provincial capital, Muzaffarabad.

"All official buildings have collapsed," he said.

Landslides have blocked all access roads to Muzaffarabad, where there is no electricity and telephones.

Part of the Margala Towers residential complex collapsed in Islamabad.

One rescuer, Rehmatullah, said: "I rushed down and for some time you could not see anything because of the dust... We pulled out one man by cutting off his legs."

 
South Asia reels from a powerful earthquake


In pictures
 

Karam Usmani, a 28-year-old sub-inspector with Islamabad police told the BBC: "I heard the cries of the people in the debris and with my bare hand I started to dig and I pulled out one dead body.

"But I managed to rescue another man of 35 and carried him on my shoulders to the ambulance."

In Indian-administered Kashmir, 200 are confirmed dead - including 15 soldiers - and 600 injured.

The town of Uri close to the Line of Control that separates divided Kashmir was worst hit, with 104 dead.

The administration is working overtime to restore essential supplies like electricity and water disrupted by the earthquake, says the BBC's Altaf Hussain in Srinagar.

Aid talks

Ben Phillips of Oxfam told the BBC a meeting of relief organisations was under way and is liaising with the UN and the Pakistani government on supplying aid.

Mr Phillips said the initial requirement would be for tents, blankets, food aid and medical supplies.

In other reports around the region:



A meeting attended by India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in the northern city of Chandigarh was stopped after his bodyguards ordered an immediate evacuation following the tremors.

The 200-year-old Moti Mahal fort in Poonch district, Indian-administered Kashmir, has collapsed.

One child was killed and six injured in a school collapse in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's information minister said.


 this is according 2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4321490.stm

its terrible because 70% of my family live in Pakistan. thank god most of them are alive but we've been trying to get hold of them for the last 12 hours. however, my grandads brother my family suspect are dead

I woke up and just saw this.  Sad.  These natural disasters just keep on coming.

Sorry mate. I hope everything b'comes alright.  :peace: from across the border.

You and your damily are in my prayers Sakib.

thanx guys. its now confirmed that my grandads sister is dead. it makes me so sad cuz she was a apparently a good person (i dont know her dat well). what im glad is the response to this disaster was better than the response to any other recent natural disaster

Sorry to hear that. :(


Terrible tragedy.

And there's no way to know in advance when it's gonna happen.




/jarmo

It's so sad to hear these stories, My support is with you sakib.

Sorry to hear this, I hope everyone else is okay

thanx

btw, i want 2 do a fundraiser at my school, if anyone has any ideas, email me at evryrosehasitsthron@hotmail.com

sorry *Izzy* about the remedy album

Sakib. all my sympathies are with your family and the earthquake victims.

hope for the early reconstruction n recovery from the damage.

I've been wondering, with all these natural disasters, are people and/or countries running out of aid to give?  I keep seeing news reports that Pakistan is pleading for aid, but I don't know if anyone can afford to give right now.  Surely not as much as if this was the only thing to happen all year, right?  There must be a limit.

ye dude sry bout dat. der in ma prayers 2 m8. c ya monday



                                                :peace: izzyrose : ok:
                                                         :beer:

thanx dude. y isnt there a one minute silence 4 the earthquake? there is for evry other major disaster.