The Hindu : National : It was like a land tsunami, says quake survivor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 09, 2005

National

National

It was like a land tsunami, says quake survivor

Jawans, guarding the nation's border, were buried in bunkers

For many homes became their graveyards Fire adds to Uri woes Helicopters evacuating the injured to hospitals

URI: They were buried alive in their bunkers guarding the nation's borders. For many more, their homes became their graveyards as the killer earthquake struck large parts of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday.

"It was like a land tsunami," said a grieving survivor, looking around the flattened and partially damaged houses.

The police station, the higher secondary school, the sub-district hospital and the ration depot — all buildings have been damaged.

However, there was no loot or plunder of valuables. Every roof has fallen and every house razed. "If anyone loots anything, where will he keep it," asked 70-year-old Mohammad Akram.

Waiting for burial

At Jabla and Kamalkote, remote villages, the dead were waiting for a burial even as tears in their relatives had dried up.

Most residents of Uri left for safer places in Baramulla town and other areas in the plains as mild tremors continued. The people thought that another major quake might be in the offing.

"Upar Allah neechay hum. Ab to chhat bhi nahin rahi (Allah is above and we are down here. Now there is no roof left over our heads)," said Fatima Bi.

As if the fury of nature was not enough, a fire broke out at Uri town reducing 25 shops to ashes.

One of them belonged to Tilak Raj, who had come from Pathankot to make a living. "I am on the road, literally. All my savings have gone up in flames. But thank god, we are all safe," he said, looking for a place to spend the night with his injured wife, Jyoti.

Many survivors were left with hardly any eatables to break their Ramzan fast at sundown.

Move to safer places

Many residents of the nearby Salmabad frontier town made a beeline for safer places. However, Mohammad Akbar has decided to stay put — to fend for the living and mourn the dead.

Akbar, who lives at Nowpora village, lost his sister and two nephews.

"I will first take care of those of my family members who survived the quake. Then I will go to the neighbouring village (Jabla) to mourn my sister and nephews."

Akbar was erecting a makeshift wooden shelter for his family. But gusty winds and rain did not make his job easy.

The Army swung into action and provided medical aid to the injured. Helicopters kept making sorties to evacuate the seriously injured to speciality hospitals in Srinagar.

A senior Army official overseeing the Uri medical aid camp said over 300 injured persons were airlifted to Srinagar. — PTI

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