ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: Aftershocks of the October 8 earthquake are expected to end after seven to 10 days, followed by start of a series of landslides in mountainous areas, particularly in Azad Kashmir, owing to looming widespread rains and snowfall.
The start of winter is likely to hamper the relief activities in far-flung areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP and create further hardship for the earthquake survivors and homeless people in hilly areas, who currently live in tents and open shelters.
The meteorological department said the country’s northern areas felt one of the strongest aftershock on Sunday at 7.12am, measured six on the Richter scale.
The department’s spokesman Mohammad Hanif told Dawn that there might be a few more aftershocks in the next seven to 10 days and then the system was expected to come to an end barring one or two shocks in the next few months. Since October 8, about 1,184 aftershocks have been recorded.
There have been 30 to 35 aftershocks a day in the first two weeks after the earthquake and the frequency has reduced to one or two a over the past few days.
The Met Office also forecast rain with snowfall over the mountains above 9,000 feet high in the next 48 hours.
The spokesman said a westerly wave was expected to grip northern parts of the country on Monday evening.
Due to the wave, isolated rain with light snowfall over high mountains are likely over Northern Areas, Hazara and Kashmir during the next 48 hours.
This wave is expected to be followed by another strong wave which is likely to approach at midweek giving widespread rains and snowfall over high mountains in upper NWFP, upper Punjab and especially the earthquake-affected areas in Hazara and Kashmir.
An official said one or two good rains in the next days could compress the shaken earth and reduce landslides but a follow up system of snowfall could increase landslides.
