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Nature's Fury
An exhibition of photographs of the earthquake in Pakistan by Shahidul Alam

The award-winning Bangladeshi photographer, Shahidul Alam, visited Pakistan with Concern Worldwide immediately after the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Concern (UK) exhibited a selection of his images in community venues around the United Kingdom.

Click here to read the Mayor of London's letter of support. 

(Click on image to enlarge and hover to see a caption)

Friends of shopkeeper Muhammad Fareed in Chakkar Bazaar gather in the shop for a chat. Ballakot city used to be a popular tourist destination, but has been converted to rubble. "This used to be a city but has now become a graveyard" said Amjad, the driver for Concern Worldwide. In the road between Muzaffarad and Narak, a boy plays with a ball in a refugee camp set up by "TŸrk Kõzõlay" (Turkish Half Moon), a Turkish relief organisation. People work to different safety standards, and it is not unusual to see people riding on the bumper of a jeep. Putticka village. Not far from the Neelam river, a demolished restaurant is open for business, customers being served under the open sky. One of the worst affected areas was Village Narr Tarr in Leppa valley. A girl with a cauliflower in the Al-Fajjar Foundation AusAid Buddhiara Camp. The camp is supported by the Edhi Foundation. Sakeena Begum of Keyatee Murad Abad Chakkar, recovers at a field hospital setup by the Pakistani army near Chakkar Bazaar. Her husband Nazim Din died. Dr Rubeela Malik From Seattle and Dr Farwa Fareed From Rawalpindi, were volunteering at a field hospital setup by the Pakistani army near Chakkar Bazaar. A grandmother from the village Keyatee, one of the worst affected areas tells the doctor to take good care of her grandson. A male patient at a field hospital setup by the Pakistani army near Chakkar Bazaar. Narak: Livestock is still the mainstay of the mountain communities. A shepherd takes is sheep to graze. A girl at a refugee camp in Muzaffarabad. Working in the rubble A few miles from Chakkar a new hospital is being setup. In Muzaffarabad, only the truck and the destroyed homes at the bottom give a clue as to what might be buried undemeath massive landside. Normally the mountains are covered with dense foliage as the section at the top.

On 8th October 2005 an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit the Indian sub-continent. An estimated 80,000 people were killed, and 2.8 million people were made homeless. Concern Worldwide commissioned Shahidul Alam to travel to Pakistan to visit two of the provinces that suffered the greatest destruction and loss of life, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and North West Frontier Province. Shahidul’s pictures reveal the devastation caused by the earthquake, and the resilience and determination of the people affected as they begin to rebuild their lives. To see Shahidul's photos one year after the earthquake click here.

About Shahidul Alam

Shahidul is an award-winning Bangladeshi photographer and former President of the Bangladesh Photographic Society, founder of the Bangladesh Photographic Institute, and jury member for the World Press Photo award.