EU team visits quake-hit areas

Published December 12, 2002

GILGIT, Dec 11: A team of the European Union (EU) led by a Pakistani official visited the quake-hit areas here on Wednesday.

Informed sources said the delegation had visited Raikot, Muthat, Tatupani, Gonar Farm and Astore valley.

The EU team, whose members’ name and number could not be ascertained, arrived in Chilas on Monday.

The sources said the team would conduct a survey in all the affected areas of Diamer district and assess damages caused by the recent earthquakes. The survey aimed at designing a blueprint for permanent rehabilitation of over 10,000 displaced people of the district, they added.

A series of earthquakes— that struck at least eight villages of Diamer district on Nov 2, 3 and 21— had left 29 people dead and 150 injured while 4,000 houses were badly damaged in the quake.

The sources said the Gilgit-Astore road was still closed after the passage of 20 days as the quakes had eroded the land routes to Astore Valley, which had been hampering the overland relief efforts.

A team of the Geological Survey of Pakistan has also reached Chilas, district headquarters of Diamer district, to find out causes that had prolonged seismic activity in the region.

RELIEF EFFORTS: Helicopters of the Army Aviation have intensified relief activities by taking goods to Astore valley regularly from Jaglote Camp to the quake-hit areas.

An official of the Northern Areas administration said the army was busy in transporting around 1,500 tents, 4,000 blankets and medicines. These items were collectively donated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, United Arab Emirates government, Pakistan Medical Association and Al-Akhter International Trust.

Items transported through the Karakoram Highway are stored at the Jaglote Refugee Camp and then taken to the quake-hit areas by the army choppers.

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