KARACHI, Oct 17: Around 50,000 people including 10,000 to 12,000 students and over 10,000 Pakistan Army troops were killed in the October 8 earthquake in Muzaffarabad only.

This was disclosed by the in charge of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) relief mission and also IJT Karachi Secretary-General Amir Ashraf on Monday.

Amir Ashraf supervising relief activities in AJK and the NWFP along with over 500 volunteers told this at a news conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on telephone.

Hardly one or two students, present inside school buildings could manage to save their lives when the massive earthquake pummelled the AJK and the NWFP, he added.

Weather is very cold there due to rain and snowfall on hills and people who lost everything are now being suffering at the hands of the cold weather, he said. He appealed to donate tents, blankets and other warm clothes to save the victims.

IJT Karachi Nazim Tahir Akbar, who was present at the KPC along with other IJT office-bearers Hassan Emad and Tausif Ahmed told newsmen that so far IJT sent relief goods of over Rs10 million, collected at 25 camps set up at various areas of Karachi.

Now we are launching another fund-raising campaign by postponing all our activities in which people would be asked to donate Rs5 only as it would help in generating around Rs75 million from Karachi only, he informed.—PPI