Killer quake kills thousands

2005-10-10 12:20

Islamabad - The massive quake in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, that triggered landslides, toppled an apartment building and flattened villages of mud-brick homes, has killed more than 3 000 people.

Pakistan's dead included 250 girls crushed by rubble when their school collapsed, and 200 soldiers on duty in Kashmir.

For hours, aftershocks from the 7.6-magnitude quake rippled across the region as rescue teams struggled to clear piles of debris in a desperate search for survivors.

Hospitals evacuated quake victims, some hooked up to intravenous drips, onto their lawns, fearing tremors could cause more damage. As night fell, rain and hail disrupted the recovery effort.

Pakistan absorbed most of the destruction. In the northern town of Mansehra, a shop owner named Haji Fazal Ilahi stood vigil over the body of his 14-year-old daughter. He said his wife, a daughter and a brother also perished in the debris of their home.

"I could see rocks and homes tumbling down the mountains," said Ilahi, who was driving to his village of Garlat when the quake struck. "When I reached my village, there was nothing left of my home."

In a show of solidarity, India offered assistance and condolences to its longtime rival, Pakistan. The neighbours, which are engaged in a peace process, have fought three wars since independence from British rule in 1947, two of them over the divided region of Kashmir that was devastated in the quake.

'It is a national tragedy'

"While parts of India have also suffered from this unexpected natural disaster, we are prepared to extend any assistance with rescue and relief which you may deem appropriate," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message to Pakistan's President, Gen Pervez Musharraf.

A senior Pakistani army official said 200 soldiers died in Pakistani Kashmir. About 1 000 civilians died in the region, said Sardar Mohammed Anwar, a top government official.

"This is my conservative guess, and the death toll could be much higher," Anwar told Pakistan's Aaj television station. He said most homes in Muzaffarabad, the area's capital, were damaged, and schools and hospitals collapsed.

At least 1 600 people died in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, said Akram Durani, the province's top elected official.

Ataullah Khan Wazir, police chief in the northwestern district of Mansehra, said authorities there pulled the bodies of 250 students from a girls' school that collapsed.

In the capitals of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute, and panicked people ran from their homes and offices. Communications throughout the region were cut.

"It is a national tragedy," said Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan's chief army spokesperson. "This is the worst earthquake in recent times."

The UN said it was working with Pakistan, Afghanistan and India on an emergency response to the quake.

- AP