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India

India Earthquake: 100,000 feared dead

By Linda Dorman - Communications Associate, WV Asia Pacific Region
"We have seen a terrible, terrible situation here. Entire areas of the city are in rubble," says Sanjay Sojwal, World Vision's Communications Manager for the Asia Pacific, after spending yesterday with World Vision's relief team in Bhuj, India.

On Monday, the British Government estimated that as many as 500,000 people have been made homeless. As time goes on, the number of people registered as dead and injured continues to grow.

According to the BBC, "India's defence minister, George Fernandes, has estimated that as many as 100,000 people may have died and 200,000 injured in last Friday's devastating earthquake."

Only about 6,200 bodies have been pulled from the rubble so far. Damage to hospital buildings has also forced doctors to treat many patients in the open air. Medical supplies are also running low in many areas.

World Vision is setting up relief operations around Bhuj. Staff are living and working out of tents as there is no electricity and no structure safe enough to stay in. As mentioned earlier, World Vision is aiming to provide food and non-food aid to at least 5,000 families affected by the earthquake.

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