US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI7910

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007910 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, KISL, PTER, PGOV, EAID, PBTS, PK, IN, Earthquake 
SUBJECT: TFPK01: India Sitrep Oct. 11, 2005 
 
REF: NEW DEHLI 7880 
 
1. (U) The following is an update on salient events in India 
since the October 8 earthquake. 
 
2. (U) Death toll: "The Hindu" of Oct. 11 reports 927 are 
dead in Indian Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The J&K government 
doesn't expect the death toll to go above 1100 because only 
180 more are considered missing and likely dead in the 
affected areas.  "The Hindu" reports casualties are now 
being reported from remote villages along the Line of 
Control from which there is no electronic communication 
infrastructure.  Two such villages have reported over 390 
casualties so far, and hundreds of injuries. 
 
3. (U) Injured and Homeless: The J&K Resident Commissioner, 
representative of the J&K government in Delhi, reported 4200 
were injured and approximately 6,000 houses collapsed, 
73,000 houses were partially damaged, and as many of 6,000 
of those damaged may collapse with the next tremor. 
 
4. (U) Indian military relief efforts for J-K: As of Oct. 
11, the India Air Force (IAF) has airlifted 344 people out 
of the affected areas, and IAF transport aircraft flown more 
than 60 sorties bring in doctors, engineers, paramedics, as 
well as food, medicine and tents, according to a GOI 
release.  The Indian Army is providing 20,000 winterized 
tents, which accommodate 15 people each. 
 
5. (U) GOI Health Ministry efforts: Indian Health Ministry 
response: The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 
today airlifted U.S. $60,000 worth of intravenous fluids to 
J-K, and has put a 30-member Rapid Response Team of 
physicians on standby. 
 
6. (U) Indian relief efforts for Pakistan: The Foreign 
Secretary announced that 25 tons of tents, plastic sheets, 
 
SIPDIS 
blankets, mattresses, food items and medicine are being 
airlifted to Pakistan.  The Foreign Secretary noted the 
atmosphere at the Line of Control (LOC) was one of mutual 
assistance.  According to the Tribune, no IAF aircraft has 
landed on Pakistani soil on a relief mission since 1971, 
although India accepted relief materials from Pakistan after 
the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. 
 
7. (U) NGO activities: The Indian Red Cross Society has 
airlifted 10,000 blankets to Indian J&K and has 10,000 ready 
for delivery.  The Red Cross is also arranging for 1,400 
tents to be airlifted to the area. 
 
8. (U) Pressing needs:  Our contacts among Kashmiri 
politicians report that the victims need winter tents and 
blankets, and stressed people will require a minimum of 
three to four months to rebuild their houses. Indian Prime 
Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Srinagar and addressed a 
press conference on Oct. 11 where he announced an additional 
$116 million in assistance to victims.  His visit followed 
that of Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and Defense 
Minister Prasad Mukherjee. 
9. (U) U.S. assistance: $50,000 of the $100,000 funds 
authorized by the Ambassador through USAID/OFTA will go to 
Save the Children through a grant signing on Oct. 12, and 
the remainder will be distributed through the Prime 
Minister's Disaster Relief Fund.  Post is researching 
sources for winter tents that could be donated to affected 
areas in India if the GOI decides to accept such assistance 
in kind.  USAID has received a request for hospital 
equipment from the J&K Government 
 
10. (U) Terrorism: Terrorists reportedly murdered 10 Hindus 
from two different families in the border districts, 
slitting their throats and leaving a message for police 
alleging family members had been police informants.  No 
terrorist group has yet claimed responsibility. Kashmir's 
insurgent United Jihad Council has reportedly announced the 
suspension of terrorist activities in earthquake-hit areas. 
 
11. (U) Politics: The moderate separatist Hurriyat 
Conference will organize a mass funeral and prayer service 
led by faction leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq at the Jama Masjid 
in Sri Nagar.  The Hurriyat Conference has postponed a 
meeting to discuss "roadmap" proposals the leaders will 
discuss with India and Pakistan. The All Parties Hurriyat 
Conference has asked India to restore phone lines cut when 
the anti-Indian rebellion erupted in 1989, in order to 
facilitate communication between affected families in 
opposite sides of the LOC. Yasin Malik, chief of the 
separatist Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, called on 
Indian NGOs to help separated families. 
 
12. (U) Infrastructure:  Indian and Pakistani officials say 
the earthquake damaged the highway and bridge connecting the 
two sides of Kashmir, which will likely interrupt the new 
bus service between Srinagar and Muzzafarabad. 
 
13. (U) Public Diplomacy: The Embassy widely distributed 
countrywide, and posted on its website, a press release 
October 10 reporting that Ambassador David C. Mulford 
announced the United States is providing $100,000 in 
emergency relief funds to assist the victims of the 
earthquake.  The release also highlighted President Bush's 
statement on the tragedy of the earthquake and Secretary 
Rice's call to Foreign Minister Natwar Singh offering her 
condolences and U.S. support.  The press release was carried 
by India's leading national wire agencies and the October 11 
editions of India's leading English language dailies, The 
Times of India, The Hindustan Times and The Hindu.  Leading 
television news channels also reported the U.S. assistance 
in text scrawls during the evening of October 10. The 
Embassy recommends that President Bush, as he did after the 
December 2004 tsunami disaster, visit the Indian and 
Pakistani Embassies in Washington, D.C. to offer his 
condolences in person and sign a condolence book. 
 
 
MULFORD