Harnai earthquake-affectees to get funds under Ehsaas program

QUETTA: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar Saturday announced Rs12000 for each family in Harnai, the worst affected district of Balochistan province in the recent earthquake, under Ehsaas relief package, ARY NEWS reported.

Dr. Sania Nishtar assured that the federal government would extend all possible cooperation to the Balochistan government to assist the earthquake-affected population.

She gave the assurance during her visit to the earthquake-affected Harnai district of Balochistan along with Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri on Saturday.

She further said that the amount under Ehsaas relief package would be released in the next 10 days while additional funds would also be provided by the federal government soon.

Sania Nishtar also met with the earthquake affectees at district hospital Harnai and assured them of complete support from the government.

It is pertinent to mention here that the death toll in the Balochistan earthquake has reached 22, while over 200 are injured, confirmed provincial home minister Zia Ullah Langau on Thursday.

The deadly earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 at the Richter scale struck parts of Balochistan including Quetta in the wee hours of Thursday night.

The tremors were felt around 3: 01 in the night in Sibi, Pishin, Muslim Bagh, Qila Saifullah Kachlak, Harnai and surrounding areas. People came out of their homes in panic and started reciting verses from the Holy Quran.

According to National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad, the epicenter of the quake was located in Harnai at the depth of 15 kilometres.

According to Deputy Commissioner Harnai Anwar Hashim, roofs and walls of more than 100 houses collapsed in Harnai and Shahrag, trapping several people under the debris. Dozens of public and private buildings were damaged in parts of Balochistan.

Harnai is the worst-affected remote mountainous area of Balochistan by the quake.