One week on, losses continue to grow

K-P the worst-hit with 225 deaths confirmed

ISLAMABAD:

One week after a massive earthquake shook northern Pakistan, casualty reports continue to trickle in.

The October 26 quake claimed 271 lives and left 2,158 people injured, according to the figures collected so far by the top disaster management body.



The 7.5 magnitude tremors also damaged 33,445 houses in the country, according to the preliminary report of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which updates the casualty figures every day.



The highest death toll has been reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where 225 people have been killed with 1,797 injured. A total of 23,296 houses have been damaged in the province.

In the Federal Administrated and Tribal Areas (Fata), 29 people have been confirmed to have died with 209 more injured. Around 9,534 houses have been damaged by the earthquake.



In Gilgit-Baltistan, 10 people have been reported killed and 61 others injured with 570 houses damaged.

Five people have been confirmed dead in Punjab with another 80 injured. At least 20 houses were damaged by the quake in the province.

In Azad Kashmir, two deaths and 11 injuries have been reported with 25 houses damaged.



Regional breakdown

The highest number of casualties has been reported from K-P’s Shangla district, where the earthquake killed 50 people and injured another 265 while wrecking 3,311 houses.

The second highest figure has been reported from Swat, where 35 people have died with 254 more injured. Chitral follows behind closely with 32 deaths and 200 injuries.

In Fata, the highest toll was reported from Bajaur where 22 people died and 159 were injured. Five deaths were reported from Mohmand.



Relief efforts

Disaster management authorities and the armed forces have distributed 45,773 tents, 77,019 tons of food, 60,374 blankets, 7,950 plastic mats, 14 tons of water bottles, 49 water filter plants, 11 generators and 27 tons of medicines among earthquake survivors.

Medical camps have been set up by Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy in the earthquake-hit areas.

While talking to The Express Tribune, NDMA’s former chairman Maj Gen Saeed Aleem said the NDMA had improved a lot over the past decade but a few shortcomings needed to be addressed to avoid damages and losses.





Sharing his recommendations, he called for 24/7 working of the district disaster management authorities and investment by provinces on disaster management. “We must ensure rules are followed while constructing new buildings especially on the seismic fault lines,” he added.

Aftershocks

As many as 95 aftershocks of different magnitudes on the Richter scale have been recorded since October 26.

But the probability of having another strong earthquake has declined in Pakistan at least for the next 10 years, predicted Dr Ghulam Rasul, director-general of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).



He said aftershocks would continue for another five to six days with the intensity dying down. “Aftershocks are important because they help settle the fault line, which ruptures during an earthquake,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2015.