Pakistan Army dispatches aid, choppers to quake-hit Afghanistan

The Pakistan Army has taken urgent measures for the earthquake affectees of North Waziristan in Afghanistan after the calamity in the neighbouring country killed more than 1,000 people and injured 1,500 others.

The military has set up a free medical camp for the quake-hit people in Dubai, Paktika, while free-of-charge ration has also been arranged for the families in need.

The Pakistan Army has also established a temporary gate for the burial of those belonging to the Madakhel tribe, at the Alwara Mandi.

The forces have also provided two helicopters to transport the critically injured to the hospitals, while a special entry system has been set up for quake affectees at the Ghulan Kham border.

Earlier, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza and all services chiefs expressed condolences on the loss of lives to the earthquake and torrential floods, with the army assuring all-out assistance for the affectees.

The quake of magnitude 6.1 killed more than 1,000 people in Afghanistan, with nearly 1,600 injured and the toll is expected to grow as information trickles in from remote mountain villages.

According to an official, the death toll could rise as rescue still continues in the Gayan and Barmal districts of the province.

Wednesday's quake was the deadliest since 2002. It struck about 44km from the southeastern city of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, the US Geological Survey (USGC) said.

Also read: Over 1,000 killed, 1,500 injured as earthquake jolts Afghanistan

The landlocked country's eastern province of Paktika was the most affected, with reports of significant damage from the areas of Giyan, Nakai, Bermal and Zerak. In Khost province, the area of Seprai bore the brunt of the early morning tremors.

Shaking was felt by about 119 million people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Twitter.

The disaster comes as Afghanistan grapples with a severe economic crisis since the Taliban took over, as US-led international forces withdrew following two decades of war. In response to the Taliban takeover, many nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan's banking sector and cut billions of dollars worth of development aid.

(With additional input from Reuters)