November 4, 2002	Monday	Sha’aban 28,1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: As many as 10 people have been killed, 30 injured and about 1,500 rendered homeless in a series of earthquakes which hit four villages in district Diamer of Northern Areas close to Nanga Parbat and across the Karakoram highway in the midnight between Saturday and Sunday.

Apart from the casualties, colossal material losses were also reported including killing of hundreds of cattle-heads coming under debris of landslides.

According to preliminary reports, more damage by the earthquakes was caused by a hot earth water suspending traffic on Karakoram highway at a number of points due to landslides disconnecting all sorts of traffic to and from Gligit and other Northern Areas.

The federal minister for information and incharge Kashmir affairs and Northern Areas Nisar A. Memon told a news conference on Sunday that the government had approved Rs3 million as initial grant and sent in seven days ration along with 500 tents for the affected people.

The deputy chief executive of Northern Areas present on the occasion told that the road was opened for light vehicles after struggle of several hours but it was still not possible for the heavy vehicles to ply on.

Besides, he told army rescue teams along with helicopters and other equipments together with civilian personnel have reached the spot where the earthquake jerks were continuously being felt.

PESHAWAR: An earthquake of mild intensity was also felt in Skardu on Sunday noon at 12:34 hours, says a report of Pakistan Meteorological Department, adds APP

The magnitude of the earthquake on international richter scale was 4.5 and its epicentre lay about 300km Northeast of Peshawar in Kashmir. The earthquake was only felt in Skardu.

Sunday’s quake was second in 24 hours in the same region as on Saturday morning an earthquake of moderate intensity was felt in Gilgit and its epicentre also was in Kashmir.

GILGIT: The Army has launched “a massive rescue and relief operation” in the earthquake hit areas of the Karakoram range, and is hecticly assisting the civil administration to extend timely succour to the victims.

This was stated by Brigadier Saulat Raza, the ISPR spokesman, while talking to APP on Sunday evening.

For the whole day on Sunday, two helicopters ferried in the affected Northern Areas, dropping eatables and blankets.

Army medical teams have also rushed to the affected region, with life-saving drugs and other necessary relief equipment and were busy rendering assistance to the affectees.

“The Army has already evacuated over a 100 people to safer areas,” Saulat Raza said.

The officers and Jawans are manning the army relief teams, and a particular care is being taken to ensure that there is required provision of blankets and woollies for distribution among the affectees, to face the vagaries of the cold weather which is becoming colder.

Those evacuated on Sunday included particularly those aged, women and children.

The landslides and cold foggy weather conditions have reportedly made the task difficult.