On 8th October 2005, a major earthquake hit pakistan. It occured at around 8.52am, the epicenter in Muzaffarabad. It affected the Gilgit-Baltistan and the North-West Frontier Province regions of Pakistan.The magnitude was a high 7.6 on the Richter scale, making the official death toll 79,000 people. Due to severe upthrust and poor construction, the severity of the damage was more. The earthquake was caused by the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Landslides blocked the roads, stopping access for people who lived in mountainous areas, leaving over 4 million homeless people in Pakistan. Between India and Pakistan, five crossing points were opened on the line of control to facilitate the flow of aid to the affected areas. To Pakistan's great relief, international aid teams from around the world came to their aid.
If the buildings and houses were constructed better, I think not as many people would have died. They could have been more cautious and readier than they were for a natural disaster to happen. I also think that they should have built something to block the landslides so they would not cause as much damage. If everyone helped and pitched in, I'm sure the death toll would not be so high and Pakistan will be ready for the next natural disaster.
References:
Website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Kashmir_earthquake
