Earthquake death toll likely to rise significantly

As night fell more than 48 hours after a devastating earthquake hit northern Pakistan and India, rescue teams continued to battle against time, pulling survivors out of collapsed buildings and trying to get to hundreds of devastated villages in outlying regions. The official death toll of some 20,000 announced by the Pakistani government on Sunday is likely to grow significantly, according to authorities in Pakistani-administered Kashmir where the emergency is acute. "I have been informed by my department that more than 30,000 people have died in Kashmir," Tariq Farooq, communications minister for the region, was quoted as saying by Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper. "Out of a population of 2.4 million, more than half is affected. It's a hilly area. They have not yet accessed villages in the mountains and the [death] toll could rise up to 30,000," Farooq maintained. The US Geological Survey said the quake's epicentre was about 110 km northeast of the capital, Islamabad, in the forested mountains of Pakistani Kashmir. The latest death toll in Indian-administered Kashmir was 865, according to the Indian government. Pakistan's military spokesman said large numbers of young people had been wiped out in areas worst hit by the quake. "It is a whole generation that has been lost in the worst affected areas," Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said. He added the hardest hit area was around the town of Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Many students were killed in the city when schools collapsed following the devastating tremor. At least 11,000 people are believed to have died in the city. So far, Pakistani army helicopters and aircraft had made more than 80 flights, supplying three mt of medicine, 12 mt of rations and two mt of water to affected areas, Sultan added. A road had been reopened into Muzaffarabad on Monday, allowing trucks to deliver urgently needed food and medical supplies. Some reports maintained that rescue and relief efforts were being hampered by bad weather. The only road leading to another badly hit town, Balakot, close to the epicentre of the quake, had also been cleared late on Monday and relief trucks and rescue equipment were making their way to the town, Pakistan's military said.