Kashmir Earthquake

What?
The Kashmir earthquake (also known as the South Asia earthquake or Pakistan earthquake) of 2005, was a major earthquake whose epicenter was the Pakistan-administered disputed region of Kashmir.

When?
The earthquake occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:38 UTC) on October 8, 2005. It registered a minimum magnitude of 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale making it a major earthquake similar in intensity to the 1935 Quetta earthquake, the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Who?
As of 8 November, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 73,276, while officials say nearly 1,400 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir and four people in Afghanistan

Where?

Why?
Kashmir lies in the area of collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. [4]. The geological activity born out of this collision, also responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountain range, is the cause of unstable seismicity in the region

Why were the casualties so high?

Most of the casualties resulting from the earthquake were in Pakistan where the official confirmed death toll is 73,276, putting it higher than the massive scale of destruction of the Quetta earthquake of May 31, 1935. Nearly 1,400 people died in Indianadministered Kashmir, according to officials. [1] International donors have estimated that about 86,000 died but this has not been confirmed or endorsed by Pakistani authorities.

 As Saturday is a normal school day in the region, most students were at schools when the earthquake struck. Many were buried under collapsed school buildings. Many people were also trapped in their homes and, because it was the month of Ramadan, most people were taking a nap after their pre-dawn meal and did not have time to escape during the earthquake. Reports indicate that entire towns and villages were completely wiped out in Northern Pakistan with other surrounding areas also suffering severe damage

Continued..
"...a second, massive wave of death will happen if we do not step up our efforts now", Kofi Annan said on 20 October with reference to the thousand remote villages in which people are in need of medical attention, food, clean water and shelter and the 120,000 survivors that have not yet been reached. [8] Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz "made the appeal to survivors" on 26 October to come down to valleys and cities for relief, [1] because bad weather, mountainous terrain, landslides and blocked roads are making it difficult for relief workers to reach each house and the winter snows are imminent.

What do you need to remember?