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Flattened by the massive earthquake that struck South Asia on Saturday, October 8, 2005, portions of the village of Balakot slide down a hillside and block the main road below. Located near the quake's epicenter in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, Balakot is said to be the town hardest hit by the temblor.

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake is reported to have killed at least 20,000 people and left up to four million homeless, with the Pakistan-controlled area of the Kashmir region suffering the highest death tolls. In many areas relief efforts have been hobbled by landslide- blocked roads.

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