Sunday, October 9 2005 09:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: More than 18,000 people have been killed and 41,000 injured in the massive earthquake that rocked Pakistan and PoK as rescue workers today (Oct 09, 2005) continued to work tirelessly to free those still trapped under debris and feed the homeless survivors.

The information the Pakistan government had so far was that over 18,000 were confirmed dead from the magnitude 7.6 quake that struck Pakistan and PoK yesterday (Oct 08, 2005), military spokesman Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told sources, adding it was possible that the toll could be much higher.

Pointing out that the scale of the devastation was the biggest in Pakistan's experience, Sultan added that another 41,000 people had been injured in the quake.

His comments came as emergency workers continued to pull out the trapped, treat the injured and feed the homeless survivors of the earthquake.

Sultan also told sources that of the over 18,000 dead, 17,000 fatalities were in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) alone where the quake was centred. There were also reports that 250 students of a school were among those killed in the quake.

"It is a national tragedy. This is the worst earthquake in recent times," Sultan said.

The UN was sending emergency coordinators to Pakistan to prepare the world body's response to the earthquake. "We know that every hour counts in an earthquake of this magnitude and the United Nations is ready to assist the country affected in any possible manner," UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said in a statement.

Rescuers worked through last night to free people trapped under debris after a multi-storey building collapsed in Islamabad and houses flattened in the quake-hit villages of the country.

Once remote areas, where quake caused large-scale damage, were accessed, the toll is expected to soar. Many roads were wiped out in the landslides triggered by the quake.

"This disaster is by far the biggest in its magnitude and scale so far that we have witnessed in Pakistan's history," Sultan told sources, adding, "There are many areas that so far have not been reached. The death toll of 18,000 could be manifold as we reach more areas and as we discover more and more bodies under the rubble."