Disaster response.

THE earthquake which struck Afghanistan and the northern parts of Pakistan late Tuesday, has come as a stark warning to the authorities tasked with preparing for disasters and mitigating their effects. The quake, reported to have had a magnitude of 6.5, resulted in the tragic loss of 10 lives and left 62 injured in KP. At least 65 homes were damaged by the strong tremors, which also triggered landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan, although, thankfully, no loss of life was reported there. Meanwhile, there was considerable panic in different cities in Punjab, with severe jolts felt in major metropolises like Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad, among other cities. In Islamabad, an emergency was declared at Poly Clinic and Pims after reports that some high-rises had developed cracks. There were reports of apartment-dwelling citizens spending the night in their cars or with loved ones elsewhere over fears of a repeat of the Margalla Towers tragedy of 2005.

The reports of residential buildings being structurally compromised by the quake are most concerning. If indeed the damage to high-rise buildings is as serious as reported, they cannot be considered fit for habitation until they are thoroughly inspected and cleared for use by a competent authority. The question also ought to be raised as to how these faults developed. Was it the...