ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Commemorating the devestating 2005 earthquake tragedy on October 8, 2005, the people of Pakistan expressed solidarity with the survivors of the horrendous earthquake that killed some 80,000 people and rendered another 3.5 million people homeless.

Devastation after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake

The earthquake that centered in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) struck parts of Pakistan on October 8, 2005. The quake is also known as the South Asian earthquake or the Great Pakistan earthquake. It also affected parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

It occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:37 UTC) on that fateful day. It registered 7.6 on the Richter scale making it similar in intensity to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1935 Quetta earthquake, and the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

The severity of the damage caused by the quake is attributed to severe up thrust, coupled with poor construction

Special ceremonies were held in the quake-affected areas and the participants of the ceremonies prayed for speedy rehabilitation of those affected by the earthquake.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani pledged to ensure quick and complete rehabilitation of the quake victims. As the entire Pakistan nation recalled the quake tragedy Pakistani leaders expressed solidarity with the quake-hit families.

APMA school children while talking to ANS

ANS visited different quake-hit areas and interviewed the quake affected, who apprised ANS of their suffering after the fatal earthquake hit them.

At the time of the terrible national tragedy, the Christians of Pakistan extended their generous contribution toward relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of the earthquake.

Several national and international Christian relief organizations launched relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations to assist the victims of the earthquake. Leading umbrella organization of Pakistani Minorities, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) responded to this tragedy immediately.

Rescue efforts

The horrendous event moved the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chief Shahbaz Bhatti’s heart. After hearing the news in the morning on October 8, the APMA Chief rushed to Margla Towers, a residential area in sector F-10 of Islamabad along with the APMA volunteers to extend help in the rescue operation.

Students and APMA teaching faculty

Leading a team of the APMA volunteers Shahbaz rushed to Balakot, a town in Mansehra district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The team could not travel by vehicle any further from Mansehra due to bad weather, mountainous terrain, landslides and blocked roads, leaving them with the lone choice of walking on foot.

Some 100 APMA volunteers were divided into ten teams who went to the quake-hit areas including Muzaffarabad, Neelam valley and Balakot.

“The dead bodies under the rubble gave off pungent smell that permeated in the area soon. It made us feel uneasy but we continued working and even pulled out dead bodies from the rubble with our bare hands. With bags on our shoulders we continued to walk up the mountains”, the APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti told ANS.

The APMA shifted the injured to the hospitals. The APMA volunteers including its Chief Shahbaz Bhatti also gave blood donation to the injured.