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Pakistan earthquake toll 38,000, India's 1,400

     Islamabad: Pakistan's military authorities today confirmed that the death toll from last Saturday's earthquake in parts of Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) was an estimated 38,000, an increase of over 13,000 on its previous estimate. Major General Shaukat Sultan, the Director-General of the Inter- Services Public Relations (ISPR) outfit, said that the number of injured had also risen to more than 60,000, and added that relief and rehabilitation efforts were being hampered by heavy rain and gusty winds. "This number is likely to further rise," warned Major General Sultan even as Pakistan received 133 million dollars from the Saudi Arabian Government. Relief agencies also expressed concern about the weather's effects on the homeless, saying that the children were especially vulnerable.

     Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Faruque Ahmad Khan said all efforts were being made to accelerate the pace of earthquake relief and rehabilitation works and for extending relief operations to far-flung outlying quake-hit areas. He said rehabilitation work might end up being a time consuming exercise, as nothing definite could be said on this score. Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao was quoted by a foreign news agency as saying that at least 3.3 million persons had been left homeless by the October 8 quake. In India, the death toll is an estimated 1,400. The UN children's' agency, UNICEF said children in affected areas faced a potentially deadly combination of cold, malnutrition and disease. Another organisation, Save the Children, said there were reports of children succumbing to exposure. UK charity Oxfam said thousands of tents and blankets needed to be moved into remote areas where roads were barely passable at the best of times. Meanwhile, according to news reports, rescue workers in Pakistan have now abandoned the search for survivors, although an 18-month girl was found in a remote village in North-West Frontier Province on Friday. UN top relief co-ordinator, Jan Egeland, has said billions of dollars will be needed for the aid effort. The Dalai Lama expressed his sorrow at the earthquake and pledged 23,000 dollars in aid for Pakistan and 12,000 dollars to India.