By Anika Jawed
8th October 2005; if we calling the small doomsday in the history of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) . Earthquake struck the Himalayan region of northern Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir on 8 October, 2005 at 8:50 AM local time, with a magnitude Mw=7.6. The epicenter of earthquake was Muzaffarabad the capital of the Pakistani-administered part of Jammu & Kashmir, known as Azad Jammu Kashmir which is located approximately 9 KM northeast. Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir was also severely damaged with hundreds of dead and injured, mostly in the town of Uri.
According to the Pakistani Government records, as a result of 2005 earthquake, the official death was stood at 87,350, however, it is estimated that the death toll could reach over 100,000. Around 38,000 people were injured and over 3.5 million people become homeless while 19,000 children were killed in the earthquake, mostly as result of collapses of school buildings. In addition aound 250,000 farm animals died due to the falling of stone and collapse of sheds.
Government estimates refleted that more than 780,000 buildings, and houses were destroyed or bacame dangerous for living. Around 17,000 schools buildings, hospitals, and other important public buildings were destroyed. Lifelines were adversely affected, as vital roads and highways were blocked due to landslides and collapse of bridges. Thus, many areas remained cut off from other areas which remaind discommected with other land routes even three months after the earthquake. Power, water supply, and telecommunication services were down, howeverthese services were restored within a few weeks.
The largest concentration of destroyed buildings was in Muzaffarabad and Balakot. Other cities such as Bagh and Rawlakot also had significant damage. It is estimated that in Muzaffarabad, 30-50% of the buildings were either destroyed or badly damaged in the main event. Major damage concentrations in Muzaffarabad were in areas of deeper deposits along the Neelum and Jhelum rivers.
Damage at Balakot was caused by a fault rupture. Damage occurred at Abbottabad as a result of local site reaction in the Cantonment area, which was apparently established on the former marshland. Several other towns in the rupture zone from Bagh to Batagram experienced severe damage to their building stock as well. Muzaffarabad and Balakot were the sites of enormous disaster.
The earthquake that hit directly or indirectly affected a huge population made it impossible to adopt workable procedures of distributing aid and relief, thus relief operations became very difficult. Besides the enormous number of dead, the human cost includes amputees, orphans, unsanitary conditions that result in illness, and chronic hunger. The early days of the incident response were highlighted by uncoordinated attempts by the many relief groups.
The government eventually established a coordinating framework under the Federal Relief Commission (FRC) and the ERRA (Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Authority) to coordinate efforts with other international agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The World Bank estimated that the rescued effort cost $2 billion. According to another estimate, 0.5 million tents, 3.5 million blankets, 60,000 tons of food, and 3,000 tones of medication were distributed.
The earthquake placed Pakistani nation in a most critical situation. Since the earthquake, there had been over 2,000 aftershocks, and the severe winter had been followed by monsoons. While people devastated were dealing with earthquakes, flu, pneumonia, and other illnesses, the monsoons had been caused even more harm. Massive landslides and heavy storm floods swept away entire mountainsides, villages or homes that may have survived the earthquake's devastation were now permanently gone after the monsoons. The earthquake was so devastating  that even today it horrifies all those who lost their everything. Let us pray that Almighty Allah save not only Pakistan but who world from such extreme natural disasters.