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| October 19, 2005 | Wednesday | Ramazan 14, 1426 |
Pakistan quake death toll rises to 47,700: official ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (AFP) - Earthquake killed at least 47,700 people and injured 67,000 others in Pakistan , national disaster response chief Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan said Wednesday, raising the toll by more than 6,000. "The casualty figure has risen to 47,700 dead and is expected to rise," he told a news conference in Islamabad. "Injured are over 67,000," he added. He appealed for artificial limbs and portable X-ray units to treat the injured and rehabilitate the crippled . The disaster chief said that 100 teams of counsellors have also been rushed to quake-hit areas "who would like to talk and counsel the traumatised people. "Khan also warned that Pakistan would need substantially more than the five billion dollars that officials have said is necessary to rebuild shattered infrastructure in Pakistani Kashmir and northern Pakistan. "Overall it is going to be a much larger purse when we look at it in a holistic fashion," he said. "Five billions are only required for rehabilitating infrastructure but much more will be needed for reconstruction of villages and towns."(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Strong new aftershock jolts Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (AFP) - A strong new aftershock jolted cities across northern Pakistan late Wednesday, hours after two other tremors in the morning rattled survivors of the massive October 8 quake, witnesses and officials said. The latest shock measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale was felt at 5:47pm (1247 GMT), Met office chief Qamaruz Zaman said. The epicenter was near quake- ravaged Muzaffarabad. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Witnesses said some people in Islamabad rushed out of their homes after the latest tremor. Earlier Wednesday, at 7:34 am, a 5.8 magnitude tremor lasting a few seconds shook the same area, and was followed less than an hour afterwards by another aftershock measuring 5.4. Zaman said 746 aftershocks had been recorded in Pakistan since the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake. "The strongest aftershock was on Sunday October 9, which measured 6.2 on Richter scale," he said. Some 35 aftershocks were felt over the past 24 hours but the ones that rattled the region Wednesday morning were relatively strong, Zaman said. The United Nations has warned that the new tremors were traumatizing survivors of the October 8 quake and could cause fresh landslides.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
President describes loss in Balakot as monumental BALAKOT, Oct 19 (APP): President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday assured that relief aid arriving from around the world would definitely flow into the quake-stricken areas, adding that the Government is striving for earliest procurement of tents to shield affected people from harsh winter. "Whatever aid is reaching is for you, plus the Government is putting into use all national resources to mitigate your sufferings," he told quake-afflicted people of North Western Frontier Province. He vowed to overcome the current shortage of tents."We are getting tents from around the world and I am sure they will be supplied in large numbers within a couple of weeks," said the President adding that he has been deeply pained to learn about the "monumental loss" wrought by the temblor in NWFP's mountainous town. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Governor NWFP Commander Khalil ur Rehman, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hamid Khan and senior military officers, overseeing relief operations, accompanied the President during visits to quake-afflicted areas. "We are doing our best to access all areas and animal transport regiment of Pakistan Army has been moved to ferry relief goods to the people through difficult routes," he said referring to the Army's 20 nodal points, established at every 5 to 10 km in the damaged region.(Posted @ 17:46 PST)
NATO says short of helicopters for Pakistan MONS, Belgium, Oct 19 (Reuters) - NATO chiefs acknowledged on Wednesday the military alliance is short of the helicopters urgently sought by Pakistan to bring relief to victims of the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake. "We understand Pakistan is in need of light helicopters --we have very few of those," U.S. Vice Admiral John Stufflebeem,who commands the 17,000-strong NATO rapid reaction force, told a news briefing. "Helicopters have been a real problem for us to generate, not only for Pakistan but also for Afghanistan," Supreme Allied Commander General James Jones told the briefing at NATO's military headquarters in southern Belgium. Washington unilaterally said last week it expected to have 40 of its military helicopters on the ground in coming weeks.(Posted @ 19:05 PST)
Quake-hit villagers protest relief efforts in occupied Kashmir TANGDAR, occupied Kashmir, Oct 19 (AFP) - Villagers in occupied Kashmir Wednesday blocked roads with burning tires, halting relief trucks to protest against lack of supplies to several remote villages more than a week after a devastating earthquake. Residents poured onto the main highway at various places in northern Tangdar sector, one of the two worst hit districts of occupied Kashmir, witnesses said. Police and army held negotiations with the villagers to get them to allow the relief convoys to proceed. "The government is providing relief to the people who are either in government service or have relatives working in government departments," said 70-year-old Abdul Sattar. "Whatever we have got is from voluntary organisations," he said.(Posted @ 17:59 PST)
Phone lines between the two sides of Kashmir stand restored NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (APP): The first phone call between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was made this afternoon, opening communication between divided families after October 8 killer earthquake. Officials at the police control room where the facility has been set up for a fortnight said it will be free.(Posted @ 17:35 PST)
Foreign Aid continue to pour in Pakistan, two more helicopters arrive ISLAMABAD, Oct. 19 (APP) A cargo aircraft of the USAID carrying 5000 blankets, 1000 cherry canes and 420 roles of plastic sheets arrived here at the Chaklala Airbase Wednesday. An Airbus from Canada carrying a team of 140 Army doctors also arrived and was immediately rushed to the quake-affected areas. Similarly, a boeing 747 of China Southern cargo carrying 95 tonnes of blankets and other goods arrived here early Wednesday, while a boeing aircraft from Libya with 130 box of medicines,980 plastic sheets, blankets arrived here. Other arrivals were: cargo aircraft from Geneva carrying 40 tonnes tents, kitchens and food items landed at the airbase, a C-130 of Turkish Air Force carrying 10.5 tonnes of medical equipments, medicines, water and 22 members of medical mission besides three ministers of the Turkish government; and two helicopters one each from Russia and Tajikistan to join the ongoing rescue and relief operations. The total number of helicopters has now totalled 50 including those from the USA-12, Afghanistan-4,Germany-2, Japan-4, Russian and Tajikistan one. The rest belong to Army, Air Force and Navy.Islamabad, Two new base camps have been established to further speed up relief operation for the affected areas of Jehlum and Neelum valleys. The relief goods to Jehlum valley are arriving by road and their further transportation to the forward areas is being carried out by helicopters. However, relief goods to the Neelum valley base camp are arriving by helicopters and the same are being transported to forward areas through helicopters.(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Sikh community donates $50,000 towards relief fund WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (APP)- The Sikh community of New York has donated $50,000 towards the President's Relief Fund for earthquake affectees. The donation was made to Pakistan Muslim League (USA chapter).(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Eight grid stations in earthquake-hit areas restored ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (APP): Eight out of ten affected grid stations in the earthquake hit areas of NWFP and AJK have been energized and electricity has been restored in most of these areas. Power supply from Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawlakot, Hajeera, Battal, Balakot, and Thakot grid station has been restored. Hattian grid station will be restored within next 24 hours while work on Noseri grid station will start after clearance of road. Balakot and Garhi Habibullah feeders have been fully energized while 90 % of Battal, Batgram-I, II and Khairabad has also been energized. 60 % area of Muzaffarabad city (Madina Market, PM Secretariat, water supply, state bank building, street lights (partial), Hospital camps, Shoukat Line, Chattar Area, VIP area near Parliament House) and 40 % area of Bagh city including vital services such as (water supply, officers colony, boys college, civil exchange, brigade headquarter, awami colony, DHQ Hospital, DMS Hospital, Streets Lights, Helipad,) have been energized. Supply to Rawlakot and its suburbs has also been restored .(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Kashmiri groups welcome Musharraf proposal SRINAGAR, Oct 19 (Reuters) The United Jihad Council (UJC) on Wednesday backed President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal to open the Line of Control(LoC). "It is in line with our position that the Line of Control is an unrealistic line," Syed Salahuddin, head of UJC said. "We have never accepted this Line of Control as a border in the past nor we will accept it in future," he told Reuters by telephone from Muzaffarabad. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also welcomed the proposal. "The government of India has welcomed Musharraf's proposal but little time is left and I hope both countries will allow Kashmiris to cross to help each other as soon as possible," Maulana Abbas Ansari, a senior leader of APHC said. "Both countries should rise above politics and help grief-stricken Kashmiris. This will give them a chance to come closer," Ansari said. "Let there be no barriers at this hour of crisis," he added.(Updated Posted @ 16:27 PST Last Posted 12:40 PST)
Kashmiris wait for quake-hit frontier to open MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, Oct 19 (AFP) - Kashmiris waited eagerly Wednesday for Pakistan and India to open the territory's disputed frontier after this month's devastating quake, as aftershocks rattled traumatized survivors. Aid has still yet to reach half a million people after the October 8 quake, in which more than 41,000 died, and President Pervez Musharraf proposed Tuesday that Indian Kashmiris be allowed to cross over to help stricken relatives. India has welcomed the proposal but said the details needed to be worked out. Meanwhile, Indian Kashmiris Wednesday made direct phone calls to the Pakistani side for the first time in 15 years to try to contact quake-hit relatives after New Delhi temporarily lifted restrictions.(Updated Posted @ 16:24 PST Last Posted @ 13:55 PST)
10,000 more children could die in quake-hit areas: UNICEF ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (AFP) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Wednesday that 10,000 more children could die from hunger, cold and disease in coming weeks because aid has still not reached parts of quake-hit Pakistan. UNICEF called for immediate steps to push through more supplies, saying that children would be the first victims in a possible "second wave of deaths” as winter approaches. Up to 120,000 children remain stranded in mountain areas devastated by the October 8 quake, "of whom the agency estimated some 10,000 could die of hunger, hypothermia and disease within the next few weeks," it said in a statement quoting UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman as saying at the agency's global warehouse in Copenhagen. She said outbreaks of diarrhoea had already been reported in stricken areas and there was a "significant threat of disease". Even if children receive the tents and blankets they desperately need, they remain seriously threatened by a lack of medical assistance, dehydration due to bad water, and malnutrition, Veneman said. (Posted @ 14:05 PST)
UN relief coordinator says China can do more for Pakistan earthquake relief BEIJING Oct 19 (APP/AP) The U.N.'s top relief coordinator Wednesday called on China to fulfil its obligation as a rising world power and give more to the earthquake victims. Beijing "must do more to share with those who have not-at-all had the development that China has enjoyed," Jan Egeland, the U.N.’s Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said. Earlier on Wednesday he met Chinese foreign ministry officials, asking for 20,000 winter tents, 10 helicopters and as much cash as possible. China has already pledged US$6.2 million directly to Islamabad. But, Egeland said "we are not doing enough as an international community." (Posted @ 11:05 PST)
Kandar village in ruins but still home for quake survivors KANDAR, Pakistan, Oct 19 (AFP) For the rest of the world it's yet another pile of rubble on a bleak, earthquake-ravaged mountainside in north-western Pakistan. But for Shabnan and her family, it's still home. "All we have to give our children to eat is a little rice and scraps of bread," she said, wiping away tears. Camping in crude tents made of blankets, cloths and bits of plastic, the villagers try to rebuild their lives. Most of the buildings in this small mountainside village, just 50 kilometres were destroyed. Like many villages in the Battagram district road access to Kandar was severed by the quake. Kandar, once a bustling village of more than 100 homes, now resembles a refugee camp. "We have not received any assistance but we will never leave here. This is our property and it is here that we will reconstruct our home," another villager said. According to Dr Aurangzeb, a Pakistani doctor working with the United Nations, the health situation in Kandar is "catastrophic". "I fear, for the children, epidemics of pneumonia and respiratory infections of all kinds. People do not have drinking water and are drinking polluted water from the rivers," said the doctor from Peshawar. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
| All Branches of The State Bank of Pakistan |
| All Treasuries |
| All Branches of National Bank of Pakistan |
| All Branches of Habib Hank of Pakistan |
| All Branches of United Bank of Pakistan |
| All Branches of Muslim Commercial Bank of Pakistan |
| All Branches of Allied Bank of Pakistan |
| All Branches of Bank Al Falah and |
| All other scheduled Banks within Pakistan |
Donations, both from domestic and international donors can be deposited in the above branches of the Banks. Donations from abroad can be deposited at all the branches of above banks in foreign countries where such branches exist.
In other foreign countries where these branches do not exist donations will be recevied by the Pakistan Missions and remitted to the State Bank of Pakistan.
All proceeds recevied in the name of the Fund will be credited to the public account of the Federal Government under following Head of Account:-
| "G 12 Special Deposit Fund |
| G 121 - Relief Funds |
| G 12130 " President's Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims-2005" |
Further information and details can be obtained from the
following telephone and fax numbers:-
Phone No : 051-9208100, 051-9202528,
Fax No : 051-9207635
Important Emergency Numbers in Pakistan
Prime Minister House Earthquake Relief Cell: 051-9213891, 051-9222666.
Disaster Relief Cell, PM Secretariat: 051-920-6111
Crisis Managment Cell, Commander 111 Brigade, Rawalpindi: 051-926-7596
Foreign Office Emergency Coordination Centre Phone: 051-920-7663, Fax: 051-922-4205, 051-922-4206
Disaster Relief Cell, PM Secretariat: 051-920-6111
Crisis Managment Cell, Commander 111 Brigade, Rawalpindi: 051-926-7596
Foreign Office Emergency Coordination Centre Phone: 051-920-7663, Fax: 051-922-4205, 051-922-4206
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