KARACHI - The 11th anniversary of the earthquake of October 8, 2005 in Kashmir and KP was observed at Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education (DIHE) on Saturday.

Vice Chancellor Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi and other speakers remembered the people who were killed in the deadliest ever disaster to have struck the country. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shahana Urooj said that more than 70 thousand people were killed in the disaster, including over 3,000 in Mansehra (KP).

“Over 9,000 buildings were also destroyed, which included over 2500 buildings of academic institutions and hospitals; majority of which have not been reconstructed as yet and the people who had become shelter less have not been rehabilitated even a decade after the incident,” she added.

She informed that out of 2,425 buildings of schools, only 1612 had been rebuilt and out of 158 hospitals destroyed in the disaster, only 50 had been reconstructed. She expressed regret that thousands of people who had lost their homes had not been rehabilitated.

“School students are still taking classes at open places,” she lamented.

Dr Shahana urged the students to take part in community service activities so that they could feel the grief and sufferings of the victims.

She emphasised the need for reorganising National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA.

At the same time she urged that everybody in the society and particularly the students of Higher Education should be aware of the disaster management and help people caught in calamities. “Anybody could face calamity in life,” she pointed out.

Dr Shahana told the students that she was part of the rescue and rehabilitation team of Karachi University, which had gone to the places of disaster in 2005 and had provided practical help to the suffering people.

Photographs of the wreckage caused by the earthquake and the voluntary activities were also shown to the students on the occasion.

Faculty members who also spoke included Dr Rakhshanda Baqai, Dr Marium.