QUETTA: About 80% of buildings in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s largest province Balochistan, are in a critical condition and cannot withstand a high-intensity earthquake, a top official has warned.

Rozi Kakar, the Zarghun town nazim (mayor) said this here on Thursday at a meeting organised by the Legislative Watch Programme (LWP) of the Aurat Foundation on ‘Disaster Management System in Pakistan: Are we ready?’

The meeting was meant for giving food for thought on likely and unlikely natural calamities and whether people are prepared enough to cope with them and their consequences.

Khan said that notices were served to the owners of the buildings, which are in a poor condition adding that a survey of the buildings of educational institutions was also in progress.

Shafiq Ahmad, a provincial legislator of Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party, said most of the school buildings were at risk and a large number of school children could die in case of a severe earthquake.

He said it was regrettable that a disaster management system had not been evolved since the inception of the country.

Bilquis Saif of the Islamist alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) said the provincial government was not ready to cope with a post-earthquake situation.

She said the October 8 earthquake proved that all government agencies and administration failed to cope with the catastrophe. - Internews