South Asia quake - two years on

At 8:50 a.m. on October 8, 2005, a powerful earthquake rattled northern Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Centered at Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the 7.6 quake flattened nearby cities, causing an estimated 80,000 deaths and leaving millions homeless. The massive quake was followed by dozens of strong aftershocks, most of which were larger than 5.0 on the Richter scale.

As Saturday is a normal school day in the region, most students were at schools when the earthquake struck. Many were buried under collapsed school buildings - a whole generation lost in some settlements.

Disrupted communication and transport links, inaccessible terrain, landslides and poor weather hampered the rescue and relief operation. UN officials said it was the most challenging aid operation it had faced: "a logistical nightmare". International aid poured into the region after media reports raised concerns about the co-ordination and effectiveness of the response especially in remote areas.

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