Balochistan's quake toll rises to 359
- September 27, 2013, 12:51 pm
- National News
- 153 Views
QUETTA: The death toll in the earthquake that struck southwest Pakistan rose to 359 on Friday, with officials saying that thousands had been left homeless and some 300,000 people affected in remote parts of Balochistan province.
Moreover, 765 people were wounded in the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that toppled thousands of mud-built homes as it spread havoc through Awaran and Kech districts and through the southwestern parts of the country, Balochistan government spokesperson Mohammad Jan Buledi said.
Communications systems in the sparsely populated province were badly affected as a result of the earthquake and rescue workers were facing difficulties in reaching survivors in remote areas of the province.
Teams were working to recover bodies, but the priority was to move the injured to hospitals as soon as possible, a difficult task in a desolate area with minimal infrastructure.
Official sources told Dawn that the earthquake had rendered about 21,000 families homeless in the two districts.
They said an area spread over 40,000 square kilometres had been affected and the communications system, especially roads, had been badly damaged.
Earlier on Thursday, the helicopter carrying chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Major General Alam Saeed, came under rocket attack in the Mashkay tehsil of the province’s Awaran district.
Awaran is considered one of the most sensitive and troubled districts of Balochistan and is also the hometown of Baloch guerrila commander, Dr Allah Nazar Baloch and Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch has already made an appeal to Dr Allah Nazar to cooperate with aid agencies in order to provide support to earthquake survivors.
