July 25, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 28, 1427

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MUZAFFARABAD, July 24: At least 12 earthquake survivors, mostly children, were killed in the AJK capital as their tents and shelters were swept away by a huge mudslide caused by torrential rains on Monday.

Officials and residents said the casualties occurred in the Chehla Bandi locality early Monday when a raging torrent played havoc with tents and shelters erected on a terraced tract of land.

The rain started at 8pm on Sunday and continued till 5am on Monday. The area, according to the Met department, received 93.4mm rain.

The officials said the mudslide damaged seven tents and some shelters and concrete houses.

Six of the dead belonged to one family from the Ali Koh village near Neelum Valley and were identified as Zulfan Bibi, wife of Ali Shan, her sons, Sarfraz and Razzaq, and daughters Saiqa, Zaheen, and Mumtaz. Four others were from the family of Ali Afsar from the Panjkot village. They were identified as Danish, Zameer, Sumaira and Iqra. The native village of another victim, Mehwish, daughter of Nazir, could not be ascertained.

An army solider, Mohammad Yousaf, of the Darban village in Neelum Valley, who had come to see his sister living in a tent, was also among the dead, officials said.

Residents said they recovered 12 bodies from the mud.

Landslides blocked the Neelum valley road at several points.

The victims were buried in a local graveyard in the afternoon. Their funeral prayers were attended among others by AJK President Sardar Anwar Khan and Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan.

Some residents criticised the government for not shifting the survivors to safer places.