Pakistan Marks First Anniversary Of Devastating Earthquake

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake rocked Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005. The temblor struck at 8:52am on a Saturday morning. It lasted only two minutes but caused widespread destruction, destroying the homes of some three million people in North West Frontier Province and Pakistani Kashmir.

People across the country gathered for prayer services and sirens sounded across the nation to mark a moment of silence.

Mourners remembered their lost loved ones in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, which was one of the worst-hit areas. And people gathered for similar services in the Frontier province town of Balakot – a centre also devastated by the quake – where 200 children were killed when their school collapsed. Sixty-three of them were buried in a common grave.

“Today’s no different from the other days, because I haven’t been able to forget those terrible scenes for the past year,” said Taimur Khan, 22, who lost his parents and sister that day.

Services were also held in Islamabad to remember those killed in the Margala Towers collapse. It was the only building in the capital to fall, killing nearly 50 people.

While there were prayers to remember the dead, there were also calls to help the survivors of the quake. Many victims are still living in tents and are angry about the prospect of having to endure another winter without adequate shelter.

Critics have accused the government of corruption and of dragging its feet when it comes to the reconstruction effort, of not handing out funds to survivors fast enough and not setting proper guidelines for the quake-proof construction of homes.

People also took to the street in protest over the government’s apparent inaction to help quake survivors. Hundreds marched in Balakot and outside the parliament in Islamabad.

Relief agencies estimate some 1.8 million people could be at risk of cold and sickness this winter, but President Pervez Musharraf estimates that number is only about 35,000 and is calling for $800 million in aid to build 600,000 new homes.

Musharraf says most of the reconstruction should be completed in two or three years.

“With the Grace of God, things are heading toward much improvement,” he said at a wreath-laying ceremony.

Here’s a look at some of the major earthquakes around the world during the past 50 years:

Oct. 8, 2005: Pakistani Kashmir; magnitude 7.6; more than 70,000 killed.

March 28, 2005: Sumatra, Indonesia; magnitude 8.7; up to 1,000 killed.

Dec. 26, 2004: Sumatra, Indonesia; magnitude 9.0; more than 176,000 people killed in 11 countries from earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Dec. 26, 2003: Bam, Iran; magnitude 6.5; more than 26,000 killed.

May 21, 2003: Northern Algeria; magnitude 6.8; nearly 2,300 killed.

March 25, 2002: Northern Afghanistan; magnitude 5.8; up to 1,000 killed.

Jan. 26, 2001: India; magnitude 7.9; at least 2,500 killed. Estimates put death toll as high as 13,000.

Sept. 21, 1999: Taiwan; magnitude 7.6; 2,400 killed.

Aug. 17, 1999: Western Turkey; magnitude 7.4; 17,000 killed.

Jan. 25, 1999: Western Colombia; magnitude 6; 1,171 killed.

May 30, 1998: Northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan; magnitude 6.9; as many as 5,000 killed.

Jan. 17, 1995: Kobe, Japan; magnitude 7.2; more than 6,000 killed.

Sept. 30, 1993: Latur, India; magnitude 6.0; as many as 10,000 killed.

June 21, 1990: Northwest Iran; magnitude 7.3-7.7; 50,000 killed.

Dec. 7, 1988: Northwest Armenia; magnitude 6.9; 25,000 killed.

Sept. 19, 1985: Central Mexico; magnitude 8.1; more than 9,500 killed.

Sept. 16, 1978: Northeast Iran; magnitude 7.7; 25,000 killed.

July 28, 1976: Tangshan, China; magnitude 7.8-8.2; 240,000 killed.

Feb. 4, 1976: Guatemala; magnitude 7.5; 22,778 killed.

Feb. 29, 1960: Southwest Atlantic coast in Morocco; magnitude 5.7; some 12,000 killed, town of Agadir destroyed.