A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan earlier this week has caused significant destruction in parts of the scenic Hunza valley near the China border, destroying houses and displacing hundreds, locals and officials said on Thursday.
The earthquake was recorded at 5.7 by the US Geological Survey and 5.8 by Pakistan's Meteorological Department.
Strong aftershocks flanked by landslides continued to haunt the residents of serene Chipursan valley, where almost the entire population has been displaced by the tremor that rocked the valley on Monday.
Chipursan valley, home to 600 people, is a narrow stretch of land located some 172 kilometers (107 miles) off Hunza district of Gilgit-Baltistan region, where over 250 houses and other structures have been destroyed or damaged by the earthquake.
"Hardly a few residents are currently living in their houses, otherwise most of the people, including women and children, have taken shelter in tents in this extremely harsh weather," said Qurban Hussain, an official of Local Support Organization, a local NGO working for quake-affected people.
Speaking to Anadolu by telephone, Hussain said that residents of even partially damaged structures are not ready to return because of heavy aftershocks, which are causing landslides.
The latest landslide destroyed three homes on Wednesday, he added.
The tremor has also destroyed dozens of barns, forcing the livestock - the backbone of the local economy - to stay in the open on freezing nights.
"Temperatures (at night) are below zero degrees nowadays, and we have nothing except for these tents to protect ourselves," Munir Ali, one of the hundreds of affected people, told Anadolu by telephone.
Many are using firewood to keep themselves warm at night.
Shabbir Mir, a spokesman for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, said that all the roads connecting earthquake-hit areas with the rest of the region have been "fully" cleared, and more tents and food are being sent to the affected people.
Speaking to Anadolu, he said the government is assessing the damage caused by the earthquake to compensate the affected people.
