ISLAMABAD, 7 November 2005 — Panic gripped people again in Azad Kashmir early yesterday after a strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook the region already devastated by killer tremors on Oct. 8.

Many people were injured, one critically, when a house collapsed in Lundi village in Batgram district, according to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. A Pakistan Army team evacuated them to a field hospital.

The new tremor occurred at 07:12 a.m. (0212 GMT) with its epicenter located some 100 km north of capital Islamabad. It was felt in Mansehra, Balakot in Northwestern Frontier Province, parts of Azad Kashmir and also in Islamabad.

Dust could still be seen billowing from Dhani mountain along the Neelum River in Muzaffarabad.

The quake struck as it was announced that the first crossing point on the Kashmir border would be opened today to facilitate relief work for earthquake victims.

Relief efforts have been hampered by hundreds of what the seismological officials described as powerful aftershocks that continue to occur following the 7.6-magnitude quake that ravaged Azad Kashmir and its northern regions on Oct. 8, killing more than 73,000 people.

A meteorological department website yesterday said up to 11 aftershocks had been recorded during the last 24 hours.

“People are living in constant fear since the Oct. 8 quake that has destroyed our city,” said Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani.

The frequency of the aftershocks has decreased and would continue to fall till the middle of November, the meteorological department said.

Relief and rescue work was continuing in the quake-hit zones as snow forecasts added urgency to the effort to reach affected people, particularly those living in high mountains.

In Muzaffarabad, local and foreign aid workers were busy removing debris and yesterday recovered four bodies from a crumbled structure at Kamsar refugee camp, set up along the Neelum River for people migrating from the Indian Kashmir.

Aid workers also recovered 11 bodies overnight from different localities in the city.

Some 75,000 Pakistani troops along with hundreds of aid workers from various countries and aid relief agencies are working day and night to ensure shelter and adequate food supplies to the displaced people, especially those living on mountains where snow has already started to fall on high ridges.

The widespread snow forecast in valleys yesterday prompted the UN to renew its call for accelerated relief efforts to prevent what officials have been calling a “second wave of death” from the cold.

The UN has already warned it would have to reduce its relief operations in quake-hit zones if the aid pledged by donor countries fails to arrive within a month.

The world body has so far received just around $135 million out of the $550 million promised in response to its appeal after the quake struck.

Pakistan has also planned a donors’ conference on Nov. 19 to attract more funds for reconstruction, which it says is more crucial than the first phase of relief and rescue efforts.

As part of the relief effort, the first of four NATO CH-53 heavylift helicopters from Germany started operating in the quake- hit zone, NATO’s joint task force spokesman Capt. Robert Firman confirmed yesterday.

“All four helicopters will be operational in the next few days and right now NATO is moving engineering capability into the Bagh area (of Azad Kashmir),” Firman said.