Earthquake-induced landslide mapping in the western Himalayas using medium resolution ASTER imagery
On 8 October 2005, a devastating earthquake struck northern Pakistan and several parts of Pakistani- and Indian-controlled Kashmir. The severely hit areas lie in close proximity to the most tectonically active region of the western Himalayas. The earthquake destroyed close to 400 000 houses and over 75 000 people lost their lives. The intensity of the earthquake was such that it triggered widespread landslides, which caused considerable destruction of the area's forests, and blocked the mountain roads and rivers.