Child Who Went Missing During the 2005 Earthquake Found Beneath the Rubble of Family Home During Excavation in Balakot

Mansehra (Bureau Report): In a deeply emotional and extraordinary development, the remains of a five-year-old child who went missing during the devastating October 8, 2005 earthquake were recovered 21 years later from the rubble of his family’s collapsed home in Garan Dhairi, Balakot, District Mansehra.

According to Qari Shafiq-ur-Rehman, his mother, wife, and two children lost their lives in the 2005 earthquake when their house collapsed. While the bodies of the other family members were recovered at the time, the remains of his five-year-old son, Jamal Shafiq, could not be found despite extensive search efforts.

He said that excavation work recently began at the same site for the construction of a new house. During the digging, workers first discovered the child’s clothing, after which human remains were recovered from beneath the debris.

Following identification by the family, the remains were laid to rest according to Islamic funeral rites.

Qari Shafiq-ur-Rehman said the pain of not knowing what had happened to his son had remained with him for more than two decades. Although the discovery has revived painful memories of the tragedy, it has also brought a measure of closure, knowing that his son has finally been given a proper burial.

He described the moment as a mixture of profound grief and inner peace, adding that the emotions were beyond words.