Body of child missing since 2005 earthquake recovered during excavation in Balakot

MANSEHRA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jul, 2026) Memories of the devastating October 8, 2005 earthquake resurfaced after the body of a child who went missing during the disaster was recovered from beneath the rubble during excavation work at a house in Garan, Balakot.

According to reports, the remains were identified as those of Jamal Shafiq, son of Qari Shafiq-ur-Rehman, who was around four to five years old when the powerful earthquake struck.

The child had been missing since the disaster, and his body was discovered while excavation was underway at the site of the former house.

The discovery has deeply moved local residents, bringing back painful memories of the 2005 earthquake, which claimed thousands of lives and caused widespread destruction across northern Pakistan. Authorities were expected to complete the necessary legal and administrative formalities before handing over the remains to the family for burial.