MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 7: A five-member French delegation led by Ms Cristel Peridon arrived here on Wednesday to assess the extent of damage and needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation in quake-hit areas. Ms Cristel Peridon is head of Project Financing division, Ministry of Finance. The delegation includes Christopher Richard, Deputy Head for Asia-French Agency for Development; engineers Herve Breton and Thomas Clochard of French Agency for Development, and Fabrice Etienne, head of South Asia and the Pacific. Two Islamabad-based French diplomats accompanied the delegation.

The delegation was briefed by the director of relief operation, Brig Iftikhar Ahmed, on rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities being carried out by the Pakistan Army in collaboration with government teams, international agencies and other welfare organizations in the affected areas.

The French delegation visited the quake-hit Combined Military Hospital and reviewed facilities being provided to the affected people of the October 8 earthquake.

The commanding officer of the hospital, Col Iqbal, briefed the delegation about the devastation caused by the earthquake.

He told the delegation that over a hundred people, including medical staff, para-medical staff and patients, lost their lives in this catastrophe.