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Pakistan | Destruction is abundant and laborers are few in remote Kashmir quake | Priya Abraham

For some aid workers, three words were descriptive enough: "Whole mountains moved," they said, when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck northern Pakistan. Gathering the dead and tending the survivors of such a massive trembler is arduous work in the best circumstances. But torrid weather and rocky terrain made recovery and rescue almost impossible for days.

The Oct. 8 quake hit Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, killing at least 35,000 and injuring tens of thousands more. Most of the victims were in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, which is a territory disputed by India and Pakistan. UN estimates put the homeless at 2 million and those altogether affected at 4 million.

For days, rains caused mudslides that blocked roads and made them impassable for relief vehicles. Five days after the quake a 5.6 magnitude aftershock struck the region even as remote villages were still waiting for help to arrive.