Relief Teams Respond as Thousands Feared Dead in South Asia Earthquake

|PIC1|Thousands are feared dead in the Himalayan region across the Pakistan and India border on Saturday as a huge earthquake shook villages, instigating landslides and pulling down two apartment blocks.

The tremors were felt by Christian Aid workers in Delhi, India, as well as the Afghan capital of Kabul. In London’s Christian Aid headquarters, members of staff were urgently trying to establish a means of communication with colleagues in the region to immediately assess the situation to enable a quick response to be made.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck at 4.50 a.m. BST and was centred in the mountains of Pakistani Kashmir, near the India border, approximately 95 km (60 miles) northeast of Islamabad.

Over the nine hours following the first earthquake there were 11 hefty aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.4 to 6.3, which shook buildings in the Afghan, Indian and Bangladeshi capitals, Kabul, New Delhi and Dhaka and were felt across the region.

The head of Christian Aid’s Asia region, Robin Greenwood commented that in disasters such as these, communication networks were often knocked out, causing a black out in contact for a short period directly after the incident.

Greenwood explained, “It’s difficult to find out what’s happening in the first hours of an emergency – but our staff on the ground are rapidly assessing the situation.

|PIC2|“We are on the phone to our staff and local partners in Kabul and Delhi and are also trying to contact our sister agencies working in Pakistan.”

He continued, “As soon as we have an understanding of the situation, we will respond.”

The Christian Aid leader said that it was clear which areas had been affected by the disaster, and that it was obvious which of the Christian Aid partner organisations on the ground were best placed to offer immediate assistance. Greenwood told that it was likely that funds would be immediately transferred to get the relief works underway.

“It is clear that this situation is serious. Our staff in Kabul felt a severe tremor lasting around three minutes. This suggests that the effects of shocks closer to the epicentre will be potentially massive,” Greenwood reported.

He said, “There are further complications. South east Afghanistan is a conflict zone. US forces are fighting Al Qaeda and Kashmir is an area of dispute, tension and military activity between the Pakistani and Indian forces.”

Greenwood concluded, “It is vital that in both these areas that relief work takes precedence over conflict.”

|TOP|Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman, Major-General Shaukat Sultan, said after an aerial survey of stricken areas, “The deaths could be running in the thousands. We do not have an exact figure for casualties at this moment, but it's massive,” according to Reuters.

Aid agency Oxfam said it was clear that the worst-hit area was Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, where 5 out of 7 districts in the area were severely affected.

Oxfam Humanitarian Response Coordinator Raphael Sindaye spoke after a meeting of aid agencies in Islamabad, “Winter is drawing in ... and night-time temperatures are already dropping: winterised tents and blankets will be urgently needed.”

Christian Aid say survivors will need help quickly. Water, food, shelter and medical aid will be the immediate priorities.