Pakistan-India quake 2005
Last reviewed: 30-09-2008
The earthquake that struck Kashmir and Pakistan's North West Frontier Province on Oct. 8, 2005 killed around 75,000 people and left up to 3.5 million homeless.
- Pakistan's worst natural disaster
- More than 16,000 children killed when schools collapsed
- Militarised border complicated relief efforts
The 7.6 magnitude quake was centred near the heavily militarised frontier that separates Pakistan and India. Most of the destruction was on the Pakistani side.
Relief efforts faced numerous challenges, including getting supplies into a mountainous region where roads had been blocked by landslides and finding enough tents before the onset of the Himalayan winter. The only way to access many remote settlements was by helicopter.
The dead included thousands of children crushed to death after their schools collapsed on top of them.
Around 600,000 houses were destroyed or damaged in Pakistan. A year after the quake, many survivors were still living in temporary shelters.
Reconstruction is expected to take years.
India did not request international help.
| PAKISTAN |
|
| Number killed |
73,338 (Pakistan government) |
| Children killed in schools |
More than 16,000 (UN/ISDR) |
| Number injured |
69,142 (Pakistan government) |
| Number left homeless |
More than 3 million (estimate) |
| INDIA |
|
| Number killed |
1,309 (Jammu and Kashmir state government) |
| Number injured |
6,000 approx (Jammu and Kashmir state government) |
| Number homeless |
350,000 approx (Jammu and Kashmir state government) |
| AREAS AFFECTED |
|
| Pakistan |
Bagh, Muzaffarabad, Poonch (Kashmir), Abottabad, Battagram, Kohistan, Mansehra, Shangla (North West Frontier Province) |
| India |
Jammu and Kashmir |
Unlike some other content on this website, the written content in this article may be republished or redistributed by any means free of charge. Any use of photographs and graphics on this website is expressly prohibited. You must check whether written content contained in other articles on this website may be republished or redistributed without the express permission of Reuters or the relevant third party provider.