Home>News Center>World
         
 

Earthquake: Search for survivors calls off
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-10-15 09:04

The United Nations launched an appeal Tuesday for some $272 million for quake victims, but its chief humanitarian envoy Hansjoerg Strohmeyer said an additional $40 million was needed.

So far, he said, pledges for just over $50 million have been received, with $4.6 million turned into firm commitments or contributions.

The biggest donations to the U.N. appeal are $17 million from Britain, $10 million from Sweden and $8 million from Canada, he said.

US President Bush pledged up to $50 million, and the U.S. Agency for International Development has already earmarked $10.8 million for the U.N. appeal, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations said. But the U.N. said this has not been reported yet to its financial tracking service.

Many countries have made bilateral donations to Pakistan.

In Islamabad, police launched a criminal investigation into the collapse of a 10-story luxury residence that was the capital's only structure to fall in the magnitude-7.6 quake, killing at least 40 residents.

"We will arrest all those who didn't perform their duty well," said the city police chief, Sikandar Hayat. "They might be the builders, contractors or supervisors."

Most of Pakistan's deaths were in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, where snow has started to fall in some areas. India has reported more than 1,350 deaths in the portion of Kashmir it controls.

Mohammed Hanif, a senior meteorologist in Islamabad, said rain was expected in Kashmir and other parts of Pakistan over the next day.

"Rains with thunderstorms will definitely disrupt relief operations in earthquake-hit areas," he said. Earlier this week, rains and hailstorms grounded helicopters flying food and other supplies to devastated areas.

Many exhausted relief workers dealt with the added burden of fasting during the daytime hours for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Water and electricity were restored to parts of Muzaffarabad, a Kashmiri city of 600,000 in the heart of the quake zone. Authorities worked to bring power back to outlying villages.

Page: 123



Franz Muentefering to be German vice chancellor
Soyuz space capsule lands
Japanese parliament's lower house passes postal reform bills
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Shenzhou VI fine-tunes orbit on the third day in space

 

   
 

Ministry: Big differences with US remain

 

   
 

Substantial results expected at G-20 meet

 

   
 

Tibet rail construction completed

 

   
 

Snow advises to save less, spend more

 

   
 

China reports 126,808 HIV/AIDS cases

 

   
  Blackout, attacks mar eve of Iraq vote
   
  Earthquake: Search for survivors calls off
   
  HP recalls 135,000 laptop battery packs
   
  Ousted Ecuador leader arrested upon return
   
  Russian troops comb city for militants
   
  WHO urges calm over new bird flu discovery
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Pakistan: Whole generation lost in quake
   
South Asia earthquake kills at least 30,000
   
Quake kills more than 19,000 in South Asia
   
Quake jolted South Asia, killing more than 30,000 people
   
Quake kills more than 18,000 in South Asia
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement