The Pakistani government has ordered the relocation of an entire town devastated in last October’s earthquake. Experts told senior ministers it would be too dangerous to try to rebuild the town of Balakot in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province. E. Smith reports.

Balakot was a thriving town with a population of 300,000 when it was hit by last year’s devastating earthquake. Thousands died and many more were left without shelter when homes, schools, mosques and hospitals were all destroyed. The initial plan was to rebuild. But as Balakot runs across the earthquake’s fault line, experts say rebuilding there is just too dangerous. Pakistan’s Earthquake Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Authority now has the job of finding a new location for Balakot and the immense task of rebuilding villages, towns and cities throughout the affected region.

巴基斯坦政府下令全面搬迁在去年十月中遭受地震严重毁坏的一个城镇。专家们告诉政府高级部长们说，重建位于巴基斯坦西北边境省的巴拉考特镇将是非常危险的。Smith报道

当去年毁灭性的地震发生时，巴拉考特是一个非常繁荣的城镇，总人口300，000。地震毁坏了、学校，教堂和医院，数千人在地震中死亡，许多人流离失所。最初的计划是重建该镇。但是由于巴拉考特刚好横跨地震断裂层，专家们说重建是非常危险的。巴基斯坦震后恢复和重建当局目前的工作是给巴拉考特找一个新的搬迁地点，同时他们还担负着整个灾区的城市，城镇和村庄重建的巨大任务。