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| October 12, 2005 | Wednesday | Ramzan 7, 1426 |
Relatives bring a dozen victims to Mayo, Jinnah
LAHORE, Oct 11: Over a dozen earthquake victims have been shifted to the Mayo and Jinnah hospitals from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balakot by their relatives. The victims include seven women and four children.
During a visit to the paediatric surgical emergency of the Mayo Hospital, it was found that minors Ali Haider, 3, Hajira, 5, Sana, 3, were still unconscious, while one-year-old Umar was crying in pain.
Hajira and Haider’s cousin Nazia, 17, said that she had gone to fetch water when the earthquake jolted the country. “I remained safe because I was in the open,” she said.
She said that she saw houses jolting and collapsing. She said that most of her relatives were buried alive under the debris. She said Hajira’s two brothers Hasan, 6, and Mohsin, 2, died in their hometown Pathara, Chaman Kot, Bagh district.
Nazia said that her another five-year old cousin also died while struggling for life under the debris. She said her mother’s leg had broken.
“My mother could not be rescued because transportation was not available,” she said.
Hajira’s father and uncle, who reached Chaman Kot on Sunday, said they could rescue some of their relatives.
Naila, mother of one-year-old Umar, said that she was out of her house when the earthquake razed all houses in Zafarabad village, AJK. She said that her son got injured while her daughter Roma, 3, died under the debris. She said that her grandmother Ashraf Jan and brother-in-law Waheed also died on the spot. She said that her husband Shamim, who used to work in Lahore, had brought them to the Mayo Hospital.
Three-year-old Sana’s mother Shamim Akhtar said that all her relatives had died. She said that she along with her husband Abu Jabbar stayed in Bagh, AJK, for three days without food, water and blankets.
The hospital had discharged 10-month-old Sania and Zohaib, 3, after giving them first aid.
In the Mayo Hospital emergency ward, Arshad 18, said that he had his leg fractured when some debris hit him in Dawarian district in Muzaffarabad. He said that most of the victims had remained unattended for two days in Dawarian till the arrival of relief goods. He said that his cousin Maidin, 25, was missing till he was shifted to Lahore. He said people were preparing digging graves to bury the bodies.
Another victim Fauzia, 13, from Badgram had got her left leg fractured. Her mother Gul Shirin Jan was sitting beside Fauzia but she was speechless. Their attendant said almost all family members of Gul and Fauzia had died in the earthquake. She said that the victims had been lying unattended in the open for three days after the earthquake.
Two elderly women Razia Begum and Kali Begum from Bagh had got their arms and legs fractured. Razia said that all her children and other relatives had died.
Niazur Rehman, who had multiple injuries, said that he was sitting in his shop when the roof collapsed on him and he remained under the debri for three hours. He said that he was crying hoarse for help. He said that his brothers finally came to his rescue.
Niaz said that many of his relatives had died.
“My daughter Sobia, 18, had also died.” he said while crying. He, however, said that his five sons and a daughter had received minor injuries and they were safe. She said that they all had moved to Lahore.
He also said that some 360 children had been buried alive in Shaheen School, Garlaat, out of whom only two children could be rescued on the third day.
Relatives of all patients said that doctors were treating with sympathy and the hospital administration was providing them medicines and food free of cost.
In the Jinnah Hospital, three girls and a woman of a family came on a van provided by the Jamaat-i-Islami on Tuesday.
Victim Maimoona, 15, said that she was in school. She said that she was rescued by her teacher. She said she remained in the open for three days.
Rukhsana, 20, said that she tried to flee when a wall of her house collapsed, fracturing her leg. She said that they had to brave bad weather conditions while lying in the open.
Victim’s relative Nasim said that he and some other relatives had carried the patients on their shoulders for five kilometres till they got transport.
Nasim said that his wife Safia had received head injuries and was being treated in the neuro-surgery ward of the hospital.
The patients said that they were comfortable in the hospital as medicines and foods were being provided to them.
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