The death toll from Wednesday's 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Balochistan has reached 300, and rescuers struggled to deliver aid to desperate survivors, most of whom spent the day in search of their loved ones or burying the dead in mass graves. An estimated 40,000 have been left homeless. "Oh God, what have you done?" wailed one woman as she surveyed the ruins of the hard-hit Wam village. The woman said she had lost two brothers, two sons and a sister-in-law. Swift relief was hampered by damage to key roads, and army helicopters scoured mountains for survivors.
Multiple aftershocks continued to rock the impoverished province, creating fresh fears among survivors who prepared to spend a second night in the open in sub-zero temperatures as the cold winter set in.
"We could bear hunger but cannot see our families shivering under open skies," said one elderly labourer.
Patients also need psychological help, a doctor volunteering in relief efforts told Daily Times. The army is trying to set up a surgical camp in Ziarat, said Captain Dr Ahmed Yar, who with his 25 colleagues was waiting for a second team. A lady doctor said her female patients included those with high-risk pregnancy. Dr Ruqqayya Hashmi, leading a United Nations team, said work needed to be done on multiple fronts. The paramilitary Frontier Corps set up 1,200 tents.