Even though October 8, 2005, was a devastating earthquake 19 years ago, the survivors still remember the horrific events clearly.
With a magnitude of 7.6, the earthquake caused 3.5 million people to be displaced, over 74,000 fatalities, and over 125,000 injuries. Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where numerous lives were destroyed and entire communities turned to ruins, suffered the biggest harm from the tragic incident.
The disaster that struck that day at 8:52 a.m. devastated the cities of Balakot, Mansehra, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, and Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the districts of Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Bagh in Azad Kashmir. Structures collapsed in an instant, including Islamabad’s Margalla Towers, which sadly claimed 72 lives.
