Pak PM visits quake hit areas in PoK, assures help

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to see the devastation in the region which was hit by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 40 people.

The epicentre of the powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which occurred at around 4 pm on Tuesday at a depth of only 10 kilometers, was near Mirpur city in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), roughly 20 kilometers north of Jhelum in Punjab.

The earthquake, which also impacted parts of Punjab as well as some of the country's northern areas, killed 40 people in the entire region and left over 450 injured.

It resurrected the haunting memories of a monster tremor that had wrecked the region 14 years ago.

Khan, who was in the US to attend the 74th session of United Nations General Assembly when the earthquake hit the area, during the visit said he wanted to cut short his visit and come back to help the victims.

"The people of Mirpur, who suffered losses, have my greatest sympathies. I can feel your pain," he said. During the visit, Khan chaired a meeting with the leader of PoK Raja Farooq Haider and was briefed about the losses as well as rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures taken by the authorities, the Dawn reported. The meeting was also attended by the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal. Khan also visited the divisional headquarters hospital to inquire after the health of some of the survivors being treated there. During his visit, he expressed his "grief" over the losses caused by the earthquake. He said the government was working on a financial package to help those who suffered the quake.

Prime Minister Khan already announced to provide Rs 500,000 each to those killed in the quake.