'Don't send money. Send engineers'

Mountains, the most beautiful part of their lives, now worry them. Akhtiyar Ahmed Khan, a smart teenager, tells rediff.com, "The mountains are upset. Every stone around us is unsteady. Landslides scare us. Our homes will always be unsafe. We live on slopes and can't sleep at night."

Akhtyar's old aunt, who injured her legs while running when the earthquake struck, says that people who lived here for decades have never seen anything like it. "We have seen war, we have seen bombshell blasts, but never anything like this."

Akhtiyar adds, "When the earthquake hit, huge mountains began throwing dust, stones and plants in the air. Everything shook violently. It created an unforgettable spectacle. For one hour, we couldn't see anything. Our eyes were dusty and we couldn't breathe. Rescue efforts could start only after an hour or so."

Apparently, since then, everyone says 'Ab to pahad girega.' (The mountains will now fall)

Akhtiyar Ahmed Khan(left) standing with his brother.

Also See: When the ground shook