poon cho tang SG Abdul Qadir and family As we were walking up through the town and surveying the damage, we were invited into what remained of the homes of Abdul Qadir and his family. The earthquake reduced these residences to rubble. We spent quite some time with these families and they told us of the frustration in the village. The army have given them a tent to sleep in, but if not for that, they would have nothing.
poon cho tang SG Staying philosophical The student son of Abdul Qadirs cousin sits amid the ruins of his home. It was totally flattened by the earthquake. It must have been quite a nice and well-to-do house, with a computer all that could be seen of that now was a mouse dangling from the rafter of a collapsed ceiling. But people here are wonderful. They are mostly philosophical about the disaster, grateful to be alive.
poon cho tang SG Difficult life Life in this part of the world is difficult at the best of times. Villages here have been in the thick of the fighting, heavily shelled in the past. But the army presence means they have supplies. Abdul Jan showed me the kerosene supply. Last night saw the first snowfall. People can carry on outside for now. They have a fire pot for cooking, which they put under their cloaks. They are used to roughing it.
poon cho tang SG Uri girls middle school We suddenly came upon the school, set back from the main street. There was nobody around save for some youngsters kicking about the rubble. Thankfully nobody was hurt here when the earthquake struck, but I saw some satchels scattered outside. I dont know if they had been dropped while children were trying to escape.
poon cho tang SG Buniyar Hindu temple I came to visit this temple recently but couldnt get anywhere near because it is right in the middle of the army barracks. When the troubles started in 1989, the Brahmins who looked after the temple were ejected. Every August there is a big Hindu pilgrimage to Amarnath cave, where Shiva explained the mysteries of the universe to his wife Parvati. The people of Kashmir are asking the same question of their God.
poon cho tang SG Mosque and madrassa The village is almost entirely Muslim now. The Madrassa and the mosque were also demolished by the earthquake. Yet when I arrived there were a group of people praying on the road outside. This earthquake is seen as an act of God. The people of this region felt abandoned anyway. It was almost as if the conflict in Kashmir had been forgotten by the world. After this disaster, they feel quite alone.
poon cho tang SG Rescue effort builds after quake Bodies continue to be pulled from the rubble in Pakistan and India after a huge 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the region on Saturday. Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, was one of the worst-hit towns, with about half of the buildings destroyed.
poon cho tang SG Traumatised survivors have gathered in a stadium in Muzaffarabad. There was mounting anger as they spent their second night out in the open amid little sign of aid arriving but, with the clearing of a road to the city, rescuers are now getting through.
poon cho tang SG As well as homes, businesses such as this shop in Uri, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, have been destroyed and the United Nations has estimated more than 2.5 million people have been left homeless.
poon cho tang SG The once-thriving town of Balakot, in Pakistans North-West Frontier province, was flattened. Some survivors are being air-lifted to Islamabad but Pakistan's president says there is a shortage of helicopters. For many, the rescue effort comes too late.
poon cho tang SG Pakistan's capital Islamabad was also hit. Many youngsters were among those injured and killed in a country where children make up half the population, prompting officials to speak of a "lost generation".
poon cho tang SG In Srinagar, capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, residents refused to return to their homes on Sunday night after warnings of strong aftershocks.
poon cho tang SG The disputed territory of Kashmir is highly militarised and in some areas, such as this town of Uri in Indian-controlled Kashmir where an army canteen was obliterated, the soldiers became victims.
poon cho tang SG But the rescue effort began to whirr into motion in many areas. In a gesture of hope, Pakistans traditional rival India offered aid.
poon cho tang SG Many countries have responded to Pakistan's pleas for assistance, providing money, aid supplies and expert personnel. Here, rescue personnel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, load up humanitarian aid.
poon cho tang SG The quake toll stands at about 20,000 but is expected to rise, with some reports suggesting it could double. The earthquake, which has left behind such apocalyptic scenes as this, of Muzaffarabad, is the worst in the region's history.
poon cho tang SG Muzaffarabad - ghost town Muzaffarabad - the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir - looks like a ghost town after Saturday's powerful earthquake.
poon cho tang SG Very little has been left standing - homes are still off-limits because of continuing aftershocks.
poon cho tang SG Residents have been removing rubble to find the occasional survivor. Death is all too close but seldom mentioned.
