Pakistan helicopters search for quake survivors

Wam, Pakistan: Pakistani army helicopters scoured mountains on Thursday for survivors of a powerful earthquake that killed about 215 people as stunned survivors sifted through the rubble of their homes.

The 6.4 magnitude quake struck the Ziarat valley in the southwestern province of Balochistan at dawn on Wednesday, levelling about 1,500 mud-walled houses, triggering landslides and leaving nearly 15,000 people homeless.

Efforts shifted from rescue to relief as hundreds of injured people were taken to hospitals. But a senior military official said searches were being conducted in the mountains above the valley for any stranded villagers.

Most of the valley's 50,000 people slept out in freezing temperatures on Wednesday night, either because their homes were destroyed or damaged, or because about 20 aftershocks, the biggest of 6.2 magnitude, left them too scared to sleep indoors.

Maqbool Ahmad, 25, standing beside the rubble of his collapsed home in the badly-hit village of Wam, said 14 members of his 18-member family were killed. "My father, my mother, all of them are dead," said Ahmad, his dusty face streaked with tears. "I buried my entire family with these hands. We lost everything in seconds," said Ahmad.

Balochistan Revenue Minister Zamrak Khan said about 215 people were killed while 500 people were injured.