Pakistani Kashmir suffers worst effects of earthquake

THE earthquake rattled dinnerware and nerves from Kabul to New Delhi, sending panicked city dwellers tumbling into streets where trees and utility poles danced and the pavement swayed sickeningly underfoot.

Aftershocks continued throughout the day and were felt as far away as Bangladesh.

The quake visited its worst effects on the isolated towns and villages of Pakistani Kashmir and adjacent areas, where the dead included 250 girls, who were crushed when their school in the Mansehra district collapsed, and 200 army soldiers on duty, officials said. Entire villages were reportedly destroyed, and landslides blocked major roads.