LIVE: Pakistan Navy dispatches relief goods to earthquake victims

Rescuers on Tuesday rushed to deliver relief aid to victims of a massive earthquake that hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing at least 275 people over a wide swath of mostly mountainous terrain. In Pakistan, 250 people were confirmed dead.

For a detailed story, read here

Key updates

-    250 people have been killed and over 1,600 injured in Pakistan so far.

-    PM Nawaz is visiting Shangla upon arrival from London.

-    Afghan officials confirmed at least 76 dead and hundreds more injured, but have not offered a full breakdown.

-    In Pakistan at least 30 people were known to have died in northern tribal areas, 185 in the northwest, nine in Gilgit-Baltistan and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

-    India has pledged to help both Afghanistan and Pakistan with the rescue effort.



NDMA says 248 killed so far

At least 248 people have been killed and 1,665 injured so far after the massive earthquake hit the country on October 26, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.

As many as 202 people were killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Gilgit Baltistan, five in Punjab, two in Azad and Jammu Kashmir, 30 in FATA.

Meanwhile, the NDMA added, about 4,392 houses were damaged all over the country out of which 3,952 were in K-P, 300 in FATA, 90 in GB, 44 in Punjab and six in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.



Karakoram Highway opens for traffic

After hectic efforts, the Karakoram Highway has been opened for all types of traffic, the ISPR has said.

The FWO and army engineers cleared all 45 slides which were created due to earthquake, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the ISPR added, Lowari top has also been cleared and Dir-Chitral road is open for all types of traffic flow.



Shahid Afridi announces support for health, education in Bara, Khyber Agency

https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/658983178368131078



Pakistan Navy dispatches relief goods to earthquake victims


Pakistan Navy mobilised its resources to carry out relief and support operations in quake-hit areas.

“Medical teams comprising ambulances, doctors and paramedical staff equipped with necessary medicines have been dispatched to Swat,” a press release issued by the navy said.

PHOTO: PAKISTAN NAVY

“In addition, trucks containing relief goods have also been dispatched to Swat for distribution among affectees in coordination with District Administration. Relief goods from Karachi will be transported through Pakistan Navy Aircraft,” it added.

PHOTO: PAKISTAN NAVY

Further, the Pakistan Navy has established a Crisis Management Cell at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad to oversee earthquake relief operations while a Forward Relief Response Centre has also been set-up at Swat.Condolences pour in

Nepal's foreign minister offers his condolences over the loss of life and property.

Foreign Minister of Nepal called Adviser on FA today to offer condolences & sympathies over loss of life and property in the earthquake.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 27, 2015

Turkish Foreign Minister called Adviser on FA to offer condolences & sympathies over loss of life and property in earthquake and assistance.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 27, 2015

Victims receive treatment 

Army personal visit victims in Rawalpindi's Combined Military Hospital.

PHOTO: ISPR

PM arrives in Shangla

PM Nawaz arrives in Shangla where he will be briefed about the damage caused in the area. He will inspect the areas himself and meet with the victims of the earthquake.

Earlier, the premier chaired an emergency meeting at the PM House, where Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and other officials were in attendance.

PHOTO: PM HOUSE

K-P government responds quickly

“We have decided to call a cabinet meeting to take pre-emptive measures to avoid destruction in such catastrophic events,” the PTI chief says in Peshawar.

Relief activities are ongoing in the province and party leaders are busy in carrying out relief activities, he says. However, he says an assessment will be conducted to determine the loss of lives and property across the province.

PHOTO: PTI

“After a complete assessment is done, we will then be in a position to comment on the relief measures," he concludes. PTI chief departs for Peshawar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan departs for Peshawar to oversee the relief activities being carried out in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Express News reports.

PHOTO: QAMAR ZAMAN

K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and the chief secretary will brief the PTI chief on rescue and relief operations in the province. Meanwhile, PTI’s central information secretary, Naeemul Haque, tweeted a picture as Imran Khan departed for K-P.

IK today. Leaving for KPK. pic.twitter.com/wlfhRCZdMr

— Naeem ul Haque (@naeemul_haque) October 27, 2015

PM orders further relief efforts 

PM Nawaz has directed authorities to send 2,000 tents to the earthquake affected areas.

“An MI-17 helicopter has been placed at the disposal of Khyber-Pakhtunkwa government for relief efforts,” Radio Pakistan quoted a statement issued by the premier’s office as saying.

The premier also directed to immediately make the Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital in Swat functional.

"A nine-bed mobile hospital with a team of surgeons has been dispatched to Dir with an immediate effect,” the statement added.Death toll continues to rise

As the death toll in Pakistan continues to rise, the number of dead now stands at 241, Express News reports.Taliban orders militants to provide "complete help"

The Taliban on Tuesday urged charity organisations to not hold back in delivering aid to Afghan victims of the devastating earthquake, saying militants in the affected areas were ordered to provide "complete help".

Read full story hereThe damage so far

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is said to be the most affected by the earthquake which took over 220 lives. A list compiled by our correspondent Iftikhar Firdous, shows that the highest number of deaths were in Shangla, 38, followed by Chitral, 29, and Swat, 28.

Meanwhile, Lower and Upper Dir recorded 22 and 15 deaths respectively. A total of 15 deaths were reported in Torghar and 11 in upper Kohistan, while Buner recorded 8 deaths.



Kohat reported a total of 21 injuries with 19 in Swabi and 18 in Torghar. Battagram and Nowshera recorded 15 and 14 injuries respectively. Whereas the least number of injuries were recorded in Mansehra 4, Kohistan Lower 3, Bannu and Charsadda 1 each.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Rescue efforts ongoing

Pakistan Army rescue teams continue its assessment of damage and loss of property caused by the earthquake.

DG ISPR Asim Bajwa confirms intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is currently underway. DG Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) is at the Karakoram Highway (KKH) along with troops and ground teams, as well as one helicopter flying in Gilgit-Baltistan and another in Khyber-Pakthunkwa.

EQ Update 27th:Damage assessment Effort;ISR mission flying,DG FWO at KKH with Troops,addition to ground teams,2 helis each flying in GB&KP-1

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) October 27, 2015

Out of 45 landslides, 27 have been cleared by the FWO at KKH, Bajwa confirms. Meanwhile, capacity of Combined Military Hospitals increased by 30 per cent, across the country.

EQ:27 of 45 land slides cleared by FWO at KKH,work continues.Rescue teams spread in GB,30% capacity of all CMHs across country enhanced-2

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) October 27, 2015

Further, NDMA has released 2000 tents, 2000 blankets and 2000 floor mats to K-P.Over 90 deaths in Afghanistan

Over 90 people have been killed and 300 injured in Afghanistan so far as death toll is expected to rise, Express News reports.

PM arrives in Pakistan

PM Nawaz arrives in Islamabad following his official US tour and a brief stopover in London.

Upon arrival in Pakistan, the premier summoned a meeting to discuss relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake, our correspondent Abdul Manan reports.

According to PM House, NDMA chairman will brief the premier on the damages to property so far and the measures taken by national and provincial authorities.

Earlier, PM Nawaz in London en route from an official visit to the US, said he would personally oversee the rescue efforts. “We will try our best to deal with this disaster using our own resources,” he said.Aftershocks continue to jolt K-P

A 2.3-magnitude earthquake was felt in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday as aftershocks continued to jolt the province, Express News reports.

The earthquake was an aftershock of Monday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake which stuck Pakistan and Afghanistan killing over 280 people.

Trying to stay ahead of earthquake disasters

“Earthquakes do not kill people,” seismic experts often say. “Buildings do.”

For Brian E Tucker, the founder and president of a nonprofit called GeoHazards International that helps developing countries better prepare for earthquake disasters, two quakes in the late 1980s provided a stark illustration.

Read full story No lessons learnt after 40th quake

Pakistan is no stranger to earthquakes. The quake that shook the region on Monday was the 40th in the country’s history and one of the most powerful ones. The authorities have, however, failed to devise proper disaster prevention protocols.
Read full story here

Schools remain closed in Rawalpindi

To avoid any damage as a result of aftershocks and as a pre-cautionary measure, all private schools are closed in Rawalpindi.

Read full story here.'Peshawar's strongest earthquake was like hell'

A reporter on ground recalls his experience as the earthquake hit. "I was indoors when my world started rocking from side to side."

Read full story here.Flashback 2005 quake: Panic, fear grip twin cities’ residents

Monday's earthquake left residents of Islamabad and Faisalabad in a state of panic and fear.

For many, it was a grim reminder of the October 2005 quake that devastated Azad Kashmir, different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and left thousands dead.

Read full story hereThousands spent the night outdoors in near-freezing temperatures reluctant to go back inside for fear of aftershocks.

A man clears rubbles from the roof of his house after an earthquake, in Fayzabad capital of Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. PHOTO: REUTERS

"Rescue work is ongoing, and tents, blankets and sleeping mats are being provided," Latif ur Rehman, a Pakistani disaster management official, told Reuters from Peshawar.



Pakistan's military and civilian authorities dispatched several helicopters to affected areas to assess damage and run rescue operations, the National Disaster Management Authority said.

Landslides in mountainous northern Pakistan over the weekend caused by heavy rain and snow had already left thousands of tourists stranded.



The earthquake struck almost exactly six months after Nepal suffered its worst quake on record on April 25. Including the toll from a major aftershock in May, 9,000 people lost their lives there and 900,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.



In Afghanistan, where rescue and relief work is likely to be complicated by security threats created by an escalating Taliban insurgency, more than 50 people were reported dead in several provinces including Badakhshan, where hundreds were killed in mudslides last year.

Hundreds of houses were destroyed, creating additional hardship with winter temperatures setting in. The death toll could climb in coming days because communications were down in much of the rugged Hindu Kush mountain range where the quake was centred.



The initial magnitude 7.5 quake on Monday afternoon was followed by seven aftershocks, measuring as high as magnitude 4.8, according to the US Geological Survey. The latest aftershock came just before dawn on Tuesday.

Historic Peshawar buildings shake and crack

The United States and Iran were among countries that offered to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, which already depends heavily on foreign aid after decades of war that have wrecked its economy and infrastructure.



The quake was 213 km deep and centred 254 km northeast of Kabul. Dr John Ebel, chairman of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College in the United States, said the depth of the earthquake had limited its severity and meant damage was likely to be spread broadly rather than focused in one disaster zone.

Landslide in Hunza. PHOTO: AFP

But he said landslides on the unstable slopes of the mountainous region could pose a major problem. "Obviously if a landslide comes into a village, it will take out buildings, but landslides can also take out roads and communications and power systems, so you lose the ability to access remote areas," he said.



In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the US Agency for International Development was ready to provide emergency shelter and relief supply kits.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in London en route from an official visit to the US, said he would personally oversee the rescue efforts. "We will try our best to deal with this disaster using our own resources," he said.