The death toll continues to rise as more bodies are discovered in the rubble left by an earthquake that rocked the Gujarat province in northwestern India last Friday.
The earthquake, measuring a 7.9 magnitude, devastated the province; not only wiping out the second most industrial region in the country, but also causing the death of from 7,000 to 20,000 people so far. Some officials predict the final tally to be upwards of 100,000. Tremors continue to shake the area.
Along with the death toll, the number of homeless people also continues to rise as an estimated 200,000 people are left without shelter or basic necessities.
Relief efforts have shifted from the search for survivors to the unearthing of bodies. Rescue teams used special sniffing-dogs and seismographs in their rounds of searching.
While the rescue teams have begun to pack up, the Red Cross and other international agencies have begun their attempt to help the injured and hungry.
Aid from many countries has begun to flow into the area, but a lot of the supplies have had trouble getting to the victims as many of the depots and airports have been destroyed or damaged. There is a severe shortage of transportation as well as many passages blocked by rubble.
The situation gets worse as the relief trucks that do make it into ravaged areas are being hijacked. There are also widespread reports of looting. Five hundred bags of grain were reportedly stolen from a warehouse already.
A flight from the United Nations World Food Program left Tuesday for Gujarat carrying 41 tons of supplies such as generators and health kits. Another flight is scheduled to leave today.
Neighboring Pakistan, which also felt the affects of the quake, has sent over a plane full of blankets and tents for the displaced Indians. The earthquake caused 12 deaths and flattened buildings in Pakistan.
However, there are still pockets within towns that haven’t gotten any relief. “Outside Bhuj, the relief is only going to areas on the main road,” said Usha Nath of Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan, in a report by Cnn.com. Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan is an Indian volunteer group that is trying to coordinate the distribution of emergency aid.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have begun to flee the area and are on their way to Delhi and Bombay by train and foot.
Even before all the sustenance can reach the starving people, something must be done to clear the wreckage of buildings and concrete. Many relief agencies have brought in bulldozers and cranes to start to clean up the area.
As the trucks begin the massive disposal project, all around them are thick flames of funeral pyres that burn through the night. As machinery turns over the chunks of wreckage, more bodies are discovered. Piles of wood have been set up along the roads for more funerals.
Yet more groups are rushing to assess the sick and try to prevent any outbreaks of disease. Medical supplies are in short supply and doctors have been forced to treat patients in the open air, as most hospitals were destroyed or at best, badly damaged.
Officials are calling this earthquake the worst in over 50 years and it has already caused up to $5.5 billion. Since the Gujarat is an important business region for the country, its destruction spells financial devastation as well for India. Not only will there be a huge cost in rebuilding, there will also be a huge cost in the loss of production time, and in the workforce.
The country is appealing to the international community for aid in supplies, volunteers, and especially money to help finance the disaster relief.
