Snow piles misery on Pakistan quake zone

THE heaviest rain and snow of the winter so far lashed Pakistan's earthquake-hit areas yesterday, grounding helicopters flying relief supplies and deepening the misery of survivors who huddled around camp fires.

Aid workers warned that cold weather in the Himalayan foothills, where temperatures have already fallen below freezing, may claim more lives after the magnitude 7.6 quake on October 8 left about 87,000 people dead and 3.5 million homeless.

Helicopters from the UN, foreign militaries and Pakistan's army, which have been delivering winter tents, clothes, food and other provisions to survivors, suspended flights due to poor visibility yesterday.