Buildings collapsed in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake a day earlier, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo: Xinhua/REUTERS)

    ISLAMABAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhuanet, by Rong Shoujun) -- Pakistan said Saturday that the death toll from the Oct. 8 devastating earthquake has soared to more than 38,000 while the relief operations are in full swing.

    Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan in their separate statements said death toll has crossed 38,000.

    "I can confirm that death toll has crossed the figure of 38,000. More than 67,000 were injured," Major General Shaukat Sultan said.

    He told private Geo television that the death toll is likely to increase as bodies are still being recovered from the rubbles of the destroyed buildings.

    He said that relief work is continuing around the clock and is in full swing. "We are trying to open blocked roads, and troops are reaching to far-flung areas in Kashmir and other parts of Pakistan," he said.

    Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao told the state-run television that death toll in the killer quake has crossed 38,000. However, he said 62,000 were injured and that 3 million people have been affected.

    Reports and officials in the quake-hit areas said that thousands of bodies are still trapped in collapsed buildings and the affected people complained the government is slow to pull bodies out.

    Sherpao said that troops are trying to reach the inaccessible areas by foot as vehicles could not travel to those areas and that helicopters are in action to airlift injured to hospitals.

    Sherpao gave the new toll as the relief effort for Pakistan's worst-ever natural disaster was hampered again by poor weather.

    Heavy rain brought misery to victims and presented another obstacle for soldiers and aid agencies racing against time to get food, blankets and shelter to remote mountain villages.

    The devastating quake last weekend has caused damage of about 5billion US dollars to Pakistan's private and public sector infrastructures and it will take up to 10 years to rebuild.

    The international community continues to express their solidarity with Pakistan Saturday. Saudi King Abdullah issued a royal decree announcing an immediate release of 500 million Saudi Riyal (about 133 million dollars ) for reconstruction of schools, hospitals and roads in the quake affected areas of Pakistan.

    Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday thanked the international community for its swift response and help to the earthquake victims in the country.

    "The world community mobilized within hours of the earthquake which is unprecedented," he said while speaking in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament.

    Kasuri said nearly 50 foreign ministers rang him up and assuredtheir governments' all possible help to Pakistan and that the heads of the state and the prime ministers from all over the worldsent messages of sympathies to Pakistan for which the government was very grateful. Enditem