As Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s Mirpur district mourned the devastation inflicted by last Tuesday’s powerful earthquake, it was hit by another big tremor.
Forty people were injured in the 4.4 magnitude aftershock, which came as survivors picked through homes and buildings levelled by an earthquake two days before.
The scale of the damage inflicted by the earthquake is now emerging. Some 38 people are now known to have died, and hundreds more have been injured.
Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Families left homeless and emergency declared in hospitals
The quake levelled about 1,600 homes and damaged more than 7,000 others – forcing families to sleep out in the open.
With over 720 people injured, the overburdened hospitals are struggling to cope, leading the government to declare an emergency in all of the district’s hospitals.
Fears of deadly disease outbreaks, including dengue fever, are rising. Damage to vital water infrastructure like wells and water tanks has left communities no choice but to use contaminated water.
Islamic Relief teams are on the ground and providing immediate support and assistance
Islamic Relief is saving lives in Mirpur
Organisations like Islamic Relief, which has launched an emergency operation to help survivors, face challenging conditions as many roads are impassable and rain and storms are still forecast.
Our emergency team is today focusing on giving tents and plastic sheets to 100 families in Jatlan, one of the worst affected places in the district.
We continue to coordinate with government authorities, other charities and with communities to identify how we can best help Mirpur’s survivors.
