PESHAWAR, Oct 28: The October 8 earthquake has caused damage to archaeological sites of the Gandhara period and historical buildings, including Balahisar Fort, in the NWFP.

Sources said that the deadly earthquake had a tilet in a 40-foot high wall and partially damaged some barracks of the fort.

A team of engineers of the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology recently inspected the fort to ascertain the extent of damage and submitted its reports to the authorities.

At present the fort houses about 1,200 personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC).

“We have advised the authorities to shift troops from damaged barracks and vacate a ration depot,” a team member told this correspondent.

He said that a main wall of the fort, which had already suffered damage due to seepage, had further tilted and needed immediate repair.

The engineers have recommended comprehensive investigations of the entire structure of the fort to preserve the historic structure, constructed by first Mughal emperor Zahiruddin Babar.

FC officials neither confirmed nor denied report about damage to the fort.

Col Tahir Raja, when approached, said: “We are custodian of this fort and no body should worry about it.” He said that some barracks had suffered damage but that should not be attributed to the quake.

An archaeologist said that sewerage system of the fort was faulty and it had caused widespread seepage inside the walls.