Pakistan Earthquake 2005

Covering the earthquake, the damage and the relief work in Pakistan.

Archive for October, 2005

Urgent need for emergency radio for quake survivors

Internews, a leading international media development organisation, has called for immediate action to improve the information flow to victims of the huge earthquake which hit Pakistan on 8 October, leaving over 53,000 dead and up to 3 million homeless. Local media in the disaster zone has been badly affected, with public and commercial radio broadcast stations and newspaper printing and distribution facilities largely destroyed.

Internews has already dispatched a radio production unit with a team of 12 reporters to produce programmes highlighting the immediate needs for the people in quake-hit areas in the local languages. The programmes are being aired through a private FM station in Abbottabad city in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with a signal that can reach almost all of the tremor-hit zone of northern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

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United Pakistan: Relief Efforts by Fakhar-e-Alam

Fakhar-e-Alam has launched yet another campaign for Earthquake support. This time it’s United Pakistan, a web site devoted for volunteer registration, support appeals, technical stuff like Google Maps of affected areas. In Fakhar-e-Alam’s own words:

People of this country, I appeal to you for your helping hand. I have taken the initiative to launch the massive relief effort campaign in collaboration with Armed Forces in Karachi and we are waiting desperately for volunteers. I don’t belong to any NGO neither do I own one; it is an individual effort on my part as a citizen of this country to help my brothers and sisters in this time of crisis.

Click here to check the list of things required by UnitedPakistan team (updated frequently)

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Free Transportation of Relief Goods

The National Logistic Corporation (NLC) has announced free transportation of relief goods from its staging sections at Karachi, Hyderabad, (Khairpur, Sukhur), Bahawalpur, Multan, Lahore and Gujranwala untill Mansehra (Shankiari). People/Organizations who wish to donate items like blankets, tents, cloths, material for coffin and dry food items etc are requested to contact NLC’s staging sections. NLC in turn will provide free transportation of these relief goods untill Mansehra (Shankiari).

Location/Concerned Person/Phone# :

Sowan & Rawalpindi/Earthquake Relief Ops Room/051-4493878 Sindh/Brig. Perzada (Khi)/021-2850384 | 021-2850386 | 0333-2158611 Sindh/Col. Kirmani (Khi)/021-9205462 | 021-5846344 | 0333-2116191 Punjab/Col. Ashiq (Gwa)/0431-3861054 | 0431-3864240 | 0300-8646145 Punjab/Maj. Atif (Lhr)/042-7512312 | 042-7512330 | 0321-8409644

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Karachi: on top of EarthQuake Fault Lines

“While Karachi lies close to a major fault line, it is situated on or close to four minor faults. The first is called the Allah Bund fault and it passes through the coastal town of Shah Bundar, the area around Pakistan Steel Mills and runs through eastern parts of the city ending near Cape Monz. Another fault lies in the Rann of Kutch near Sindh’s southeastern border with India. The third is called the Pubb fault which lies near the Mekran coast west of the city while a fourth is located in Dadu district on the northern boundary of Karachi.”

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Kids Need Help in Islambad

Bali Memorial Trust along with Pakistan Dental Association has set up a camp hospital in Sports Complex, Islamabad. The patients, mostly children are brought to this field hospital for Post Operative Care. These kids are homeless, and shocked. We are doing everything we can to provide medical attention and relief for these patients. Please open your hearts to support these kids by supporting this effort in anyway possible… Read the list

Kind of donation preferably required:

1. Cash.
2. Pillows.
3. Cooked food. (Lunch costs between 4000-5000 Rs, Dinner and Iftar costs 10,500/- Rs.)
4. Medicines (Valosef 500mg and 250mg injections. Dicloron injections).

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Smoke-emitting mountain terrorises Allai villagers

As reported earlier, aftershocks, emission of smoke from one of the mountains, and constant sound of blasts have terrorised the entire population of the Allai in Battagram district since the October 8 earthquake and prompted the government to make plans to evacuate reluctant villagers from their beloved valley.

Abdul Sattar alias Tooti, Nazim of union council Battila in Allai Valley, told The News from Abbottabad that the earth has been shaking constantly in the wake of the October 8 quake. He said furious noises emanating from the earth and the mountains have created a scare and made life miserable for the people of Allai.

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Quake prompts review of F-16s deal

Pakistan is reconsidering its plan to buy scores of new and used American-made F-16 fighter jets following the Oct 8 devastating earthquake, The News reports.

A US official said Pakistan was reconsidering the scope and timing of the transfer out of concern for the political and economic impact of making a multibillion dollar arms deal as it still copes with a devastating earthquake that has killed thousands of people.

Pakistan is seeking billions of dollars in relief and reconstruction aid. The Pakistani diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not suggest the deal would be jettisoned. He said there were many options, including delay. “Everything is open to possibility,” he added.

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Bring a Blanket Day

Our plan is to hold a ‘Bring a Blanket Day’ at as many companies as possible on the 31st October and 1st November.

We need volunteers from within companies who are willing to take up the task of coordinating, organizing and collecting the blankets that the employees of those particular companies donate on the target days. We will take care of the logistics from the company premises onwards (for Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad).

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