October 8 earthquake: Nation remembers victims on 15th anniversary today

The 15th anniversary of the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, which had jolted Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), is observed across the country today.

Different events are being organized in different parts of the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir to express solidarity with the victims of calamities.

The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the martyrs and prosperity of the country.

One minute silence was also observed at all district headquarters. The main prayer ceremony was held at university ground Muzaffarabad on Thursday morning.

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider laid floral wreath at Martyrs’ Memorial.

On October 8, 2005, about 7.6 tremors on Richter scale had shaken parts of the country and had caused massive destruction putting it higher than the massive scale of destruction of the Quetta earthquake in 1935.

Approximately 138,000 people were injured and over 3.5 million rendered homeless.

According to official figures, 19,000 children had died in the earthquake, most of them in widespread collapses of school buildings.

The earthquake had affected more than 500,000 families.

Earlier in September 2019, the strong earthquake of 5.8-magnitude brought disasters to different parts of AJK. The quake hit some urban and rural parts of the AJK including Muzaffarabad, Kotli and many other scattered places.