Rescue efforts afoot in earthquakes hit areas of GB

GILGIT-BALTISTAN: Pakistan army troops are assisting civil administration in Astore district of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) for providing relief in earthquakes hit areas of the reign.

Pakistan army helicopters, engineers, doctors and paramedics are busy in providing comfort to the stranded populations affected by the earthquake.

  A total 20-kilometer Astore Valley Road has been opened for traffic, while work for the restoration of the communication network is being continued by the special Communication (SCO) while rations and cooked food being provided to victims.  Doctors and paramedics are providing necessary medical care for locals in different areas.

It is pertinent to mention here that an earthquake jolted the whole of Gilgit Baltistan on 30th December 2019 at 10:18 pm with a magnitude of 5.4 on the rector scale. Meanwhile, the major jolt four more aftershocks had also been observed at 10:49 pm, 12:02 am and 5:52 am having magnitudes of 5.1, 4.5 and 4.2 respectively.

The jolts were felt in almost all the districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. According to the different earthquake monitoring agencies and websites, including USGS the epicenter of the earthquake is at 35.673N, 74.440E which is situated at a distance of about 6kms from sub-division Juglot.

 Being very close to the epicenter Bunji, Doyan, Dashkin, Harchu, Shaltar and Mushkin villages of Astore have suffered more and still observing the aftershocks.

Later, after two days District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Executive Engineer Astore visited the areas of Bunji and Astore Valley Road (AVR) and according to their observation the AVR has suffered a lot and Ramghat to Mushkin portion about 20Km is fully covered with debris flow and will take at least 5 to 7 days to clear.

The SCO’s cellular network the only source of communication with the villagers of Doyan, Dashkin, Harchu, Shaltar and Mushkin and Mushkin is down and the actual situation is still unknown whereas the parties had been mobilized by District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Astore to analyze the situation of the cutoff areas and response activities will be planned after getting report from DDMA’s team.

Keeping in view the above situation, the DDMA Astore has mobilized the machinery available at Astore to open the AVR whereas considering the severity of the situation the heavy machinery from Gilgit and Chilas shall be mobilized to augment the restoration work of AVR from Ramghat side.

To restore the cellular network the SCO has mobilized four parties to restore the network but so for no contact has been made with them. Other than that the Water and Power department has also been directed to restore the power supply of the affected areas.

The reign still observing the aftershocks while area residents suffer and compelled to spend their nights without shelters and heating in near-freezing temperatures.