The death toll in Pakistan's worst-ever earthquake may cross 25,000, officials feared. By now, the death toll has exceeded 18,000, Pakistan Army spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said. As many as 18,020 people have so far been confirmed dead. More than 17,000 persons died in the worst affected areas of Azad Kashmir including the capital Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Bagh. Sultan said 215 army personnel were also killed and 414 others injured in the quake. He feared that the overall death toll might multiply because there were still many regions of the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, which have not been reached because of the collapse of the communication infrastructure and their inaccessibility. The earthquake measuring 7.6 on the International Richter Scale, having its epicenter 95 km north of Islamabad, played havoc on Saturday morning. The Balakot city in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), which was wiped out, was yet to be reached by rescue teams. Officials said that 600 people were still stranded in debris of their houses in Batagram. Army helicopters are engaged in operation in the difficult areas of Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas. A 42-member UN medical team has arrived in Muzaffarabad. Similarly, a Chinese medical team flew into Islamabad on Sunday along with a planeload of essential items for the quake hit people. Several countries have started providing relief goods for the earthquake affected areas.
