PESHAWAR, Oct 11: The official death toll from the earthquake in the NWFP on Tuesday reached 4,748 and the number of injured has been put at 8,970. Briefing reporters on the overall situation and ongoing rescue operations in the severely affected areas of the province, provincial Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai said that the official death toll covered only those fatalities that had been officially reported by the concerned police station.

However, the minister warned that the death toll could be higher because a swathe of territory in Mansehra, Battagram, Shangla, Abbottabad, Kohistan and Swat districts was still inaccessible due to inclement weather and limited resources.

The number of casualties (district wise) is as follows: over 3,000 dead and 3,005 injured in Mansehra district, 800 dead and 4,500 injured in Battagram, 289 dead and 327 injured in Shangla, 515 dead and 830 injured in Abbottabad, 6 dead and 69 injured in Swat, 3 dead and 9 injured in Peshawar, 3 dead and 20 injured in Buner, 22 injured in Charsadda, one dead and 25 injured in Mardan and 2 injured in Nowshera district so far.

Mr Daudzai said that relief operations in the worst-hit areas such as Balakot, Battal, Garhi Habibullah, Pattan, Ogi, Kaghan and Kui were in progress. About 15 consignments of relief goods and medicines had already been sent through four helicopters available to the provincial government.

Mr Daudzai informed reporters that the provincial government was facing an acute shortage of tents and it had taken up the matter with the federal government for provision of tents in bulk quantity.

The minister maintained that the provincial government had set up a base camp at Islamabad and a liaison officer had been appointed to coordinate with the federal government for acquiring foreign aid for the affected areas of the NWFP.

He observed that in view of the heavy destruction in five of the worst-hit areas, it was impossible for the provincial government to rescue thousands of victims and provide them relief goods.

Therefore, he said, the provincial government had requested the federal government, non-governmental organizations and the international community to come forward in support the government in this regard.

He disclosed that special cells had been established at district level in Mansehra, Battagram, Shangla, Abbottabad and Kohistan, while at the provincial level a crisis management centre had already started work.

He suggested that organizations or individuals seeking to help victims in the affected areas should properly coordinate with these cells so that their relief goods could safely reach there.

The telephone numbers of the provincial crisis management centre are: 091-9210300, 091-9210238, 091-9210036, 091-9210513 and 091-9210210.