MANSEHRA: The horrific memories of the Oct 8, 2005, devastating earthquake returned to affright Hazara people, especially those of Balakot town, when strong tremors jolted the region yet again on Monday.

The calamity left 17 people dead and over 150 critically injured in upper parts of Hazara division.

The 2005 tremors measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale had claimed thousands of lives in Mansehra by flattening houses, schools and bazaars.

“The people were frightened after the earthquake hit Balakot. Men, women and children rushed out of their prefabricated houses and shops in panic,” said a local trader in Balakot.

Mansehra’s people rush out of houses, shops for safety recalling ravages of 2005 tremors

“The data we have gathered so far revealed that 17 people were killed and over 150 people were injured when landslides destroyed houses in different parts of Hazara,” deputy inspector general of Hazara range police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur told reporters.

The earthquake caused panic among people, especially women and children, as they rushed out of their houses and shops for safety.

Gandapur said 13 people were killed in Nusratkhel area of Torghar district when heavy boulders rolled down smashing residential area.

He said children and women were among the dead.

The DIG said the earthquake killed three people in Kohistan and one in Oghi area of Mansehra district, while at least 150 people, including children and women, were critically injured in the earthquake.

“We are actively collecting data of the deceased and the injured,” he said. The DIG Hazara said over a hundred slum houses were either destroyed or partially damaged in Hazara division.

Meanwhile, private schools in Mansehra and Batagram districts were closed for two days from Tuesday (today).

In Abbottabad, 66 people suffered injuries in the earthquake.

According to deputy commissioner Khalid Mehmood, the calamity injured 66 people and 46 of them were shifted to the Ayub Medical Complex and 20 to the District Headquarters Hospital.

He told Dawn that no casualty was reported in the region.

The deputy commissioner said the revenue officials were in the field to collect data of the damages to public property in 52 union councils of the district.

He said emergency had been declared in the district in line with the directives of the provincial government and that all staff of in district hospitals and other health centres had been called on duty.

The deputy commissioner said machinery of works department was on call to clear damaged buildings.

According to him, ambulances and health officials were on alert with revenue officials available to their help.

He said majority of the injured had minor injuries and therefore, most of them were discharged after being given first aid.

In Swabi district, two children were killed and over 50 people were injured in the earthquake.

In a village of Maneri Bala union council, eight-year-old Alishba Khan died in roof collapse.

However, other members of her family remained unhurt.

In Khar Colony Para of Kalu Khan village, 10-year-old Farkhanda Bibi buried alive after the boundary wall of her house collapsed.

Fourteen injured people, including six women, were shifted to the DHQ Hospital. Two of them were in critical condition.

Ten injured people were taken to Kalu Khan Civil Hospital and one of them was referred to the District Headquarters Hospital Mardan due to critical injuries.

The tremors destroyed several houses, damaged boundary walls and caused cracks in buildings.

District nazim Ameer Rehman and officials of the district administration visited DHQ hospital and directed the staff to provide free medical treatment to the injured.

In Nowshera, one child was killed and 20 people were injured as roofs and walls of several houses and schools collapsed due to the earthquake.

Nowshera Kalan, Ziarat Kaka Sahib, Nowshera cantonment area, Akora Khattak and Pabbi were the worst affected areas.

In Bajaur Agency of Fata, 21 people were killed and 51 people suffered injuries, said political agent Yahya Akhunzada told Dawn.

The political agent said 11 bodies were shifted to the DHQ Hospital, Khar. He said seven children and one woman were among the dead.

The political agent said a large number of cattle were also killed in the calamity.

He also said boundary walls and roofs of dozens of houses were collapsed. In Mohmand Agency, four people were killed and scores were injured after building roofs and houses collapsed.

A local resident said 40 houses were partially damaged in Kohi Danish Kool area, while over 30 houses were destroyed in Aliangar area of Safi tehsil and Chamarkand.

Damage to houses was also reported in Prang Ghar, Pandiali, Dawezai, Ambar, Ekkaghound, Khwezai and Biazai tehsils.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2015

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