Pakistan's army busy in rescue, relief efforts in quake-hit areas

Pakistani army said Wednesday that rescue and relief operations in the earthquake-hit areas of southwestern Balochistan province are in progress.

An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale Tuesday hit Mashkel area in Balochistan, bordering Iran.

Media reports said that many houses have been destroyed.

A local journalist, Farooq Qabdani, said by phone that the people there spent the night outside their homes and had been busy burying the dead.

He said that some injured people were shifted to hospital in Dalbandin and two army helicopters airlifted dozens of injured early Wednesday.

The army said that its relief and rescue operation for local populace is in progress and 900 kilograms of medicine and 500 tons of rations have reached Mashkhel.

A statement said that Pakistan Army doctors and soldiers are busy in relief and rescue efforts.

Qabdani said that nearly 90 percent area of Mashkel has been destroyed and the affected people faced shortage of medicine as there is no proper hospital in the area.

He complained that rescue and relief operation was also delayed, making the affected people disappointed.

An official of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Brig. Sajjad, said that several bodies have been pulled out of the debris of the collapsed buildings.

Muhammad Azeem, a representative of Pakistan's Red Crescent, said that the earthquake has caused widespread destruction. He added that relief teams have been sent to the affected areas.

A former lawmaker from the area, Ihsanullah Regi, said that 15 bodies and dozens of injured had been shifted to a local medical facility.

He said a village namely Ladgasht was completely destroyed.