On the way to Naran in the Kaghan Valley, Pakistan we travelled the Karakoram Hwy
The PTDC is Pakistan Tourist Development Corporation, and we were able to stop off here for a break on the road trip.
Two weeks later Balakot was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake on Saturday 0850 hrs 8 October 2005. The Pakistan government decided the town would be relocated after the severe damage.
The quake measuring 7.6 was followed by severe storms and landslides. Approx 80,000 people died.
In Islamabad we were 100km from the epicentre. I was laying on my bed watching a dvd and thinking about going into the office for a couple of hours when everything started to shake. At first I was excited to realise it was my first earthquake, then realising my room was shaking so much that it was safer just to stay there. Then, momentarily, a fleeting annoyance that I couldn't hear my dvd over the noise. Once the shaking stopped the phone rang, first one colleague checking I was OK and then another saying "did you feel that?" ... he thought it may have only been in his part of town!
The aftershocks went on for over a month, with almost 1000 over 4.0 in the first three weeks. Some aftershocks exceeded the original quake. I was in a booth at a club with some friends and suddenly it felt like we were on a roller-coaster. I looked out at the swimming pool and there were huge waves washing from one end to the other.
My colleague moved into my spare room as his building developed major cracks. That evening a huge thunderstorm struck. It was preceded by sudden winds. We were sitting in the tv room when we heard a terrible roaring sound and glanced at each other, wondering what was happening now. I went out to check and realised it was the wind. Then torrential rains and thunder storms. It was tragic to think this storm would severely hamper initial rescue efforts.
Earlier in the day we had phoned all of our staff and were happy to learn all of them were unharmed.
Gosh - how awful to think of nature obliterating so much so quickly. I experienced a small quake in Peterborough some years ago - felt rather like the building had a little indigestion. Can't imagine what a big one must be like. You're very brave to have had so many adventures :)
Wow, what a story! An especially special photo then to document this place. I think I would feel the same way--- minus the damage and casualties, feeling the movement of an earthquake sounds pretty exciting.
