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More than 12,000 bodies have been pulled out of the rubble left by last Friday's earthquake in the Indian state of Gujarat. With thousands more still missing, the government expects the final toll to rise to 25,000. And while rescue workers continue their tragic search for victims, aid agencies are struggling to care for those left injured and homeless among the devastation.
Nancy Retherford, a member of the rapid response team of the American Red Cross, is one of those relief workers. As a disaster-services public-affairs officer for the organization, her job includes facilitating communication for disaster victims. Retherford spoke to NEWSWEEK's Arlene Getz about her experiences in Bhuj, the city worst hit by the quake.
NEWSWEEK: What does Bhuj look like right now?
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Nancy Retherford: Bhuj is just totally devastated. As you drive through the streets, even on the very outskirts of town, all you see are piles of rocks and debris. Where you see houses that are still standing, they're riddled and cracked. Some buildings have gone from maybe a six-story building to a four-story building. The lower levels have collapsed. There's very little left intact.
Where are the people who lived in those buildings?
If there are any homes left intact, the people aren't living in them because of the fear of aftershocks. A lot of those structures have been compromised, so the people are actually living in the streets. Sometimes some of them have gone to the outskirts of town and set up campsites. There are beds out on the sidewalk.
What are the chances that there are any more survivors still waiting to be dug out?
What we're hearing from the rescue workers is that the only way people can survive now is if they're trapped in a pocket that has some sort of water. The few people who were pulled out [after four days] only survived because they were trapped in a kitchen or because they happened to have a bottle of water with them. But the rescue workers were saying that yesterday [Jan. 30] was pretty much the last day that they could still expect to find anyone alive. Still, they say they're being very careful if [the bulldozers] find an open space where there's a chance someone could be trapped.
How bad is the weather? Is it making life worse for those on the streets?
During the day it's quite warm-in the 70s [Fahrenheit]. At night it's quite chilly. Temperatures have dropped into the 30s.
Do the homeless have tents and food?
That's the role the Red Cross is playing, providing [materials like] plastic sheeting, tarps to them.
Do you have enough supplies for everyone?
There are so many people affected in this that I'm not sure you can ever have enough. It's going to take more than foreign agencies [to provide for everyone].
How many people were left homeless by the quake?
There are so many different estimates. What we're hearing is that about 70 to 75 villages around Bhuj were also destroyed.
What's your typical day like?
A typical day at this point in the disaster relief is getting up with the sun, making decisions about what will be distributed, what supplies are most needed. Going to the villages, talking with the families, trying to help them.
You must be hearing many tragic stories...
There are thousands of stories everywhere we go. People are anxious to tell us what happened to them, what happened to their neighbors. The most poignant I heard was about a man and his wife who lived on the 10th floor of their high-rise. He was sitting in an armchair across from the rubble of what had been his 10-story building, and he began telling us how, when they felt the tremor, they went up on the roof. He was holding his wife's hand when the building collapsed beneath them. The next thing he realized he had fallen the 10 stories and was buried in rubble up to his chest. He was able to remove the rocks and concrete and pull himself free. He's pretty seriously bruised and he's moving very slowly. But he hasn't been to the hospital yet. He said: "I can't go, they haven't found my wife yet." He was just sitting in his chair across from the bulldozers when we saw him.
Was his wife ever found?
We talked to him today. He had not found her. He had gone to the hospital at that point; the [rescue workers] were pretty much finished in his area.
If people are living on the streets without clean water and proper sanitation there must be a threat of disease...
Everyone is very aware that's a great possibility [but] we haven't seen anything yet. It's probably a help that the nights are very cold and that people are spread out in the open as opposed to being in confined areas. If you go into the areas where there are probably still [human] remains you can tell by the smell, but they're very careful about who they let close to that. It's blocked off to the public; everyone's wearing masks.
There are reports here that some Indians are criticizing their government for not getting the emergency equipment to Bhuj quickly enough; that rescuers had to hunt for people with shovels and pickaxes the day after the quake.
From what we understood the equipment and army personnel arrived Saturday evening, about a day and a half after the earthquake. Realistically, I'm not sure what should be expected with a disaster that huge, but I can understand that people were getting very frustrated. From what we could see [the Indian authorities] have been working very hard providing resources and facilities.
Has the Red Cross learned any lessons from the way this disaster was handled?
We learn lessons after every disaster we provide relief in. Probably what we've learned most from earthquakes is the importance of mitigation; how well prepared you are.
What is the best way for people outside India to help the victims?
The best way to help is a financial donation. That allows us to purchase what is needed most right here in India. People who want to help can call 1-800-HELPNOW and donate to the American Red Cross International Response Fund for India, or they can visit our Web site at .
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