Pakistan buries victims of new earthquake

The victims of a new earthquake to hit southwest Pakistan, days after a massive tremor, were buried Sunday as officials distributed a fresh consignment of relief goods to survivors.

The powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday and killed at least 22 people in a region already devastated by a 7.7-magnitude quake which killed more than 300 people last Tuesday.

“All the 22 victims were buried in Nokjah village of Awaran district, which had been badly affected by the quake yesterday,” senior local government official Shafqat Anwar said.

He said 14 trucks carrying relief goods including tents, blankets, food packets, water, rice and lentils had reached the Mashkey area of Arawan.

Local officials distributed the goods among quake-hit people in different areas including Gajjar, Khaliqabad and Nokjah on Sunday.

Anwar said 16 more trucks with relief goods had left Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, and would reach Mashkey by Monday.

Infrastructure in the rugged and arid province is minimal and the army and paramilitary Frontier Corps have been heavily involved in the relief effort, along with non-government organisations.