October 30, 2008	Thursday	Shawwal 30, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Farooq Ahmad Khan has said that no appeal for international help will be made for the survivors of Wednesday’s earthquake in Balochistan.

“It was a natural disaster of localised nature and we are capable of handling the situation,” he said at a press conference.

However, any help from abroad would be welcome, he said.

He said villages of Wachan Kawas and adjacent areas in Ziarat district had been severely affected, while Pishin’s Toba Achakzai village and nearby areas had suffered moderate losses.

About 2,000 houses have been destroyed and rescue efforts were undertaken by local civil and military authorities. Medical teams of the 12 Corps headquarters reached Ziarat by helicopters a few hours after the earthquake hit the area and started rescue and relief work.

The NDMA chief said 2,000 tents had been rushed to the affected areas and more were being sent.

The army and Frontier Corps have set up two tented villages which can accommodate about 3,000 people. A wing comprising 300 FC personnel has been moved to Ziarat and another 100 men to Pishin.

He said the president and the prime minister had been informed about the calamity early in the morning and they had ordered that immediate help should be provided to the survivors.

Mr Ahmed said a field hospital was being airlifted by a C-130 from Rawalpindi and a military field hospital was on standby in Quetta.

He said 5,000 blankets, 5,000 jackets, 2,000 tents and 4,000 plastic mats were being sent by air from Karachi and Islamabad.

He said 12 helicopters were taking part in the relief work and C-130 aircraft were on standby.

He said several aftershocks had been recorded in the affected area and they would continue for a week.

He said people were being advised not to spend nights in damaged houses.

At another press conference, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority’s Deputy Chairman Lt-Gen Sajjad Akram said Erra had rushed relief goods to Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman and Pishin.

He said that Director-General (Planning) Brig Akhtar Javed Warraich would oversee distribution of relief goods. Medical rehabilitation personnel who treated back injury patients after the earthquake of 2005 are accompanying Erra teams.

He said emergency relief items kept in nine districts which had been affected in 2005 were being sent to the affected areas in Balochistan.

According to ISPR, army contingents and two helicopters had reached the quake-hit areas. The helicopters had been sent from Quetta to Warchun and Kawas.

The air force said its C-130 transport fleet had undertaken two sorties from PAF Base, Chaklala, and one from PAF Base, Faisal, in Karachi, to Quetta. Relief goods weighing 80,000 pounds had been offloaded at Samungli. They included tents, blankets, sleeping bags and edible items.

Federal Health Minister Sherry Rehman said the government was coordinating with the Balochistan authorities for assessing the need and response. She told reporters that all federal government hospitals had been put on high alert to provide medicines, equipment and staff on a short notice.