Pakistan earthquake wreaks havoc

Muslim Aid is launching an appeal for the victims of the powerful earthquake which struck eastern Pakistan earlier today. The quake, which measured 5.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, killed 19 people and injured more than 300, according to Muslim Aid’s Country Director in Pakistan, Syed Shahnawaz, quoting local authority reports. The casualty list is expected to rise.

Muslim Aid has sent a team to the city of Mirpur and surrounding area, a two-hour journey from the Muslim Aid office in Islamabad, to do a full needs-assessment. The quake's epicentre was close to the city of Mirpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“Immediate needs are for food, water and materials for temporary shelter,” says Syed. “People are traumatized and their homes have collapsed. Where homes are still standing, people are still too scared to return in case there are after-tremors.” Infrastructure has been left severely damaged as the tremor ripped through roads and buildings.

Muslim Aid will be monitoring the situation around Mirpur over the next few days and weeks to see how we can best help get people back on their feet.

People in the area are still healing from the catastrophic earthquake that struck there 14 years ago in 2015 and took thousands of lives.

To donate to towards food aid or emergency kits, that will go on to provide shelter and essential items, please click