Pakistan seeks help

The devastation caused by the earthquake that hit northern Pakistan sank in yesterday as officials pleaded for more help to cope with a disaster that may have killed many more than the 20,000 confirmed so far.

Rescue teams led by the Pakistan Army struggled to reach many of the hardest hit areas of the rugged North West Frontier Province and Pakistan-held Kashmir, and authorities said more helicopters were needed to reach flattened towns and villages.

"For the first two days we have been either digging ground to recover bodies or digging to bury them," said Sikander Hayat Khan, prime minister of Pakistani Kashmir.

"Kashmir has turned into a graveyard." Estimates of the death toll by officials suggest a final toll closer to 40,000, with children caught by the quake dying in their hundreds in village schools.

Another 2,000 people may have died in neighbouring India, and the fate of about 10,000 people living in remote villages on the border with Pakistan was unknown, Indian officials said.

The United Nations estimated that the number of people hit hard by the disaster was one million while the total affected population was expected to exceed four million.

In Pakistani Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad, where the old district was almost destroyed by Saturday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, thousands are thought to have perished.

Many survivors were desperately short of food, medicine and water and some took what they needed from shattered buildings.

"They've lost everything, they have no clothes, no food, nothing," said resident Asim Butt.

Some gangs of young men looted anything they could, including cars and motorbikes, prompting police to fire shots in the air.

Pakistan's High Commissioner to Britain, Mahleelah Lodhi, said Islamabad was grateful for the aid offered but needed more - not just for emergency relief but for reconstruction later.

"We are dealing with a catastrophe on a major scale, so the relief effort has to be also on a major scale," she told CNN.

The main roads into Muzaffarabad had been cleared, and some telecommunications restored, but the city was without power and threatened by disease from decomposing bodies and a broken sewerage system.

In Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, European, Arab and Japanese nationals were among an estimated 45 people missing two days after the quake destroyed two apartment blocks.

"There's a lot of the smell of death, but we are still confident otherwise we wouldn't be here," said Anthony Thomas, of Rapid-UK, a British team assisting the rescue effort there.

Patience paid off when they pulled out an Iraqi child unscathed more than two days after he was trapped in the rubble, were at least 30 bodies have been found so far. The rescuers were also hopeful of bringing out his mother and another child.

The missing included two other members of the Iraqi family, a Swedish woman and her three children, at least one Italian man, a Spanish man, a Japanese man and another foreigner.

International donors announced tens of millions of dollars of emergency aid and were rushing in doctors, helicopters, food, tents and sniffer dogs.

"We know that every hour counts in an earthquake of this magnitude," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland said.

However, many victims voiced frustration at a lack of visible help on the ground days after the quake hit.

Despite aid pledges from around the world, there was little or no medical attention for many of the more than 40,000 injured in Pakistan more than two days after the disaster.

"Most of the people here are cursing the government for still not providing proper attention and we agree with their feelings," said Ayub, one of 120 medical students helping victims in Muzaffarabad.

Aid agencies said more than 120,000 people urgently needed shelter and up to four million could be left homeless by what was South Asia's strongest quake in 100 years.

¤ An eight-member UN team has began coordinating relief in the worst-hit areas.

¤ The UN refugee agency UNHCR said aid trucks were being sent from Peshawar to the badly affected Mansehra district in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.

¤ The Asian Development Bank said it would offer $10 million, reallocated from existing projects, for immediate assistance for the worst-affected areas of Pakistan.

¤ The International Red Cross said it aimed to provide emergency food and shelter to 120,000 vulnerable people stranded in the freezing autumn conditions.

¤ Nato prepared to offer troops, aircraft and humanitarian aid to Pakistan. Some 50 German troops have already been sent from Nato's peacekeeping force in neighbouring Afghanistan.

¤ US President George W. Bush offered American helicopters and an initial $50 million in emergency aid funds.

¤ The European Union has aid workers on the ground in Pakistan and has allocated €3.6 million in initial aid.

¤ In the Arab world, Kuwait donated $100 million and the United Arab Emirates pledged $100 million for quake relief; Yemen said it would send two aid planes.

¤ South Korea said it would provide $3 million in aid and send rescue workers to Pakistan today.

¤ A 46-member search and rescue team including 18 medical officers from Malaysia was due to leave for Pakistan. Malaysia also pledged $1 million in aid.

¤ Australia lifted its aid contribution from $380,000 to $4.2 million, with the possibility of more if needed.

¤ Pakistan said Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Spain had sent sniffer dogs, while specialist rescue teams had been sent by Britain, France, China and Turkey.

¤ Germany, Japan, the Netherlands also sent help, while Hong Kong's richest tycoon Li Ka-shing said he would donate $500,000.

¤ Britain has already sent two rescue teams to the area and the Department for International Development said it had pledged £1 million, which would be increased.

¤ Sri Lanka, a major victim of the Asian tsunami, pledged $100,000 in assistance.

¤ South Africa said it was sending 18 doctors, 10 paramedics, and 30 tonnes of aid.

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