This latest news of the terrible earthquake in Kashmir beggars belief. I had to call a friend to see she was OK and her family too. Thank God she was.
Does it make you wonder when this year's tragedies will end?
I hope all our members in the area are safe.
30,000 dead is what is predicted.

Horrendous.

Staggering, it's just staggering.

It is appalling, and the Pakistani government, to their credit, lost no time in requesting international aid, both practical and financial. The logistics of searching for survivors, and helping those made homeless, on this scale, are just staggering. Apart from the earhquake there is very heavy rainfall in the area, and many access roads have been rendered impassable. In spite of these obstacles the Pakistani military, police, and private contractors, have managed to move in large amounts of heavy earthmoving equipment and personnel. Let's hope the rest of the world can respond to this disaster with equal urgency.

Just when mankind was slowly getting back to life after the horrendous tsunami, we have this huge earthquake happening with people being killed, losing their family members and all sorts of losses. It makes you wonder sometimes, that is God intent on punishing us ? Hopefully, we can again show that humanity is a stronger force than any catastrophe and give speedy relief to all the affected parts.

I hope Ankur's OK as well, because he lives in Chandigarh which is very close to that area.

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I hope Ankur's OK as well, because he lives in Chandigarh which is very close to that area

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I will email him Angi.

Thanks for the concern, folks. Yes, I am perfectly okay.

The quake really shook the city. It was THAT usual scene - everybody coming out of the houses, everyone phoning everyone, et al. It was particularly chaotic in Chandigarh as the PM, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the other big Congress guns had some meeting here.

Being in Army School, some of my freinds have got their Dads trapped in the high altitudes of Indian Kashmir. And, with almost all communication out of order - this is going to be a big concern.

Glad to hear you're okay, Ankur, and all the best for your part of the world.

Nature is certainly having a rampage in the last year.

According to latest bulletins, the death toll from this disaster has reached 56,000, over 17,000 of whom are children. With winter rapidly approaching, these figure will undoubtedly increase. Unfortunately, it isn't 'news' any longer so relief efforts aren't being stepped up in the way they're so desperately needed.
People who live in the world's high mountain regions have a very hard life anyway, and those who've lost everything in this disaster have it hardest of all.