Disaster overload: Family of quake survivors jolted by tragedy

18-year-old was crushed to death by boulder, three others wounded

GILGIT: Abdul Hamid’s family was among the fortunate ones who survived the recent earthquake in Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

At least 100 houses were destroyed in Phandar Valley, leaving several people homeless after the 7.6 magnitude quake ripped through Pakistan and Afghanistan on October 26.

However, luck was not on their side when a huge boulder rolled down an adjacent hill and destroyed their fourbedroom house in Gupis Valley on Thursday.



The room-sized boulder trampled Hamid’s 18-year-old daughter, who died on the spot. The heavy machinery also injured Hamid’s son, wife and grandson.

“The girl was crushed under the weight of the boulder, while others were severely injured,” Ghulam Nabi, a relative of the family, told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

“They rushed out of the house after hearing a noise. However, they could not escape the tragedy.”

Hamid, a retired school teacher, remained unhurt but his wife and grandson are in critical condition. The wounded were shifted to Combined Military Hospital in Gilgit.

The boulder that had been partly displaced in the recent earthquake rolled down the slope due to heavy downpour that lashed the region earlier in the day.



Minutes after the incident, Khalid Anwar, a judicial magistrate, helped shift the injured to the hospital in his vehicle. “Anwar was passing by the area when the incident occurred,” Nabi said. Assistant Commissioner Naveed Ahmed also donated cash to help the victims.

“Ahmed donated Rs30,000 for the treatment of each family member who was wounded. It was a tremendous help for us,” Nabi added.

G-B Chief Minister Hafeezur Rahman has announced compensation of Rs0.5 million for the deceased and Rs150,000 for each injured member. “The incident has saddened