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Huge quake exposes ill-preparedness of Pakistani authorities

DPA, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
Monday, Oct 10, 2005, Page 9

`It took at least a couple hours before the poorly-equipped local administration, followed by dozens of army commandos, reached the site and, working with shovels or their bare hands, began retrieving victims dead and alive from under the debris.'

Imran Zareen had hardly settled down in his Ministry of Interior office when suddenly his table shook. He looked around but was surprised to see that other colleagues were equally bewildered and clueless.

Within seconds, they were rushing down the staircase after realizing that a massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale had rocked the building. They were lucky to escape disaster.

But dozens of inhabitants of a multi-story apartment building in one of Islamabad's residential sectors were not so fortunate.

The ill-fated Margalla Towers came tumbling down within seconds of the massive tremors that lasted for about 110 seconds and reached as far as Multan, a city more than 350km southeast of Islamabad. After-shocks of lesser magnitude kept shaking Islamabad and its vicinity until midday.

It took at least a couple hours before the poorly-equipped local administration, followed by dozens of army commandos, reached the site and, working with shovels or their bare hands, began retrieving victims dead and alive from under the debris.

The administration also issued appeals to construction contractors to lend their cranes and heavy machinery to help in removing debris at the site of the towers.

According to Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, at least eight people were killed in the tower tragedy.

One distraught person, with tears flowing down his cheeks, was desperately looking for his cousins and their parents.

"I was staying with them and had gone out for a walk when the tragedy struck, I know nothing about them," said Sajid Hassan crying as another strong wave measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook Islamabad, sending people fleeing from their homes.

Eyewitnesses spoke of harrowing scenes as the tremors shook the building and the noise of the cracking of walls became louder.

"I saw people shouting [for help] from upper floors and they even tried to climb down with ropes," Rehmat Khan, an eyewitness, said. He added that the rescue effort lacked professionalism.

The US Geological Survey located the epicenter of the quake about 95km northeast of Islamabad in the Kashmir region, while Pakistani officials said the epicenter lay about 100km north of Islamabad, explaining the magnitude of the quake, which they believe is the severest in memory.

In 1974 about 5,300 people were killed in an earthquake that had measured only 6 on the Richter scale in northern Pakistan.

This time it was once again the mostly northern mountain towns and villages that suffered extensive human and material losses, probably because of the proximity of the epicenter near Muzaffarabad.

Muzaffarabad, and some other districts of Pakistan -- administered Kashmir witnessed widespread destruction, with telecommunications systems disrupted making it difficult to ascertain the real extent of the damage.

Khanzada Khan, chief administrator of the northern district of Batgram, said nearly 20 villages of the total 97 in his area have been completely destroyed. Reports of more destruction were still pouring in as the day drew to a close.

"There has been massive destruction in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and Pattan," chief military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said, referring to towns in northern Pakistan. "It is like a national tragedy."

Sultan's boss, President Pervez Musharraf, himself also rushed to the high-rise building for inspection and tried to comfort the affected families.

"I think it is a test of us all, we all together have to cope with it," Musharraf told media on the spot, promising the entire military rescue machinery had been placed at the disposal of the civilian administration.

The earthquake caused unusual chaos in congested cities like Rawalpindi south of Islamabad and Lahore, where early morning traffic was on the road and most people halted their vehicles at the moment they felt the tremors.

Eyewitnesses in Peshawar, also close to tectonic plates in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges, said that the earthquake rocked doors and windows of big buildings, scaring residents out onto the roads.

The tremors disrupted electrical power in Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi city and brought road traffic to an immediate halt as people left their vehicles and ran for safer places.

"I nearly lost control of the wheel as my car began to swing," said Shafek Ahmed, who was heading for his office in Islamabad when the quake hit.
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