A Terrible Earthquake

A terrible earthquake hit Pakistan on October 8, 2005 at 08:51 AM. It badly affected the northern areas of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. Hundreds of thousands of buildings and houses collapsed or suffered enormous damage. Children were the worst suffers as it was a normal school day.

It was centered near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (K.P.K) and some areas of Indian-Administered Jammu and Kashmir. It registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 ND had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (severe).

AREAS AFFECTED: Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Kashmir (both)

MAGNITUDE (severe): 7.6Mw

LOCAL TIME: 08:51 (Pakistan Standard Time)

U.T.C TIME: 2005-10-08/03:50:40

The severity of the damage caused by the earthquake is attributed to severe upthrust. It is considered the deadliest earthquake to hit South Asia, surpassing the 1935 Quetta earthquake.

80,000 people perished as a result, while an estimated 4 million others were left homeless and more than 32,000 buildings collapsed.

This earthquake struck the Himalayan region of northern Pakistan and Kashmir. According to the Government of Pakistan, the death toll as of October 2005 stood at 87,350, although it is estimated that the death toll could reach over 100,000.

It is estimated that about one thousand hospitals were destroyed in the earthquake in Pakistan only.

The catastrophic quake struck in October 2005 in the Pakistan-Administered region of Kashmir and Pakistan's North-Western border province also affected the adjoining areas of India and Afghanistan. At least 79,000 people were died and more than 32,000 buildings collapsed, with additional deaths and damage reported in India and Afghanistan, making it the deadliest earthquake of modern times.

The devastating earthquake struck with its epicenter located 12 miles (19 kilometers) North-East of Muzaffarabad. It was measured at a magnitude slightly less than that of the 1906 San Francisco quake, and it caused major destruction in Northern Pakistan, Northern India and Afghanistan.

The Muzaffarabad area was the worst hit, and a number of villages there were totally destroyed. At least, 1,350 people were died and 6,266 injured in Jammu and Kashmir state in India. Tremors were felt at a distance of up to 620 miles (1000 kilometers) as far away as Delhi and Punjab in Northern India. 4 fatalities and 14 injured survivors were reported in Afghanistan.

Countless after-shocks and falling stones by landsliding were the major obstacles in helping the affected survivors. Falling stones destroyed the highways and mountain roads by which several affected parts could not be accessed even after many days.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops and various International Aids Agencies played a significant role in the subsequent relief and rescue efforts. This disaster is considered as the most affecting, and devastating in the history of Pakistan.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

NAME: ZAIN KAMRAN

E-MAIL: zainkamran2006@gmail.com

PHONE: +92 301 0459463

LOCATION: LAHORE, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN.