IT started more than ten miles underground, the constantly shifting plates that created the Himalayas millions of years ago once again crashing against each other.
But on the surface it was a typical Saturday morning for residents of cities and villages in the remote regions of the Himalayas, Pakistan controlled Kashmir and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province. Students were at school, while most people were
at home, relaxing after the pre-dawn meal that is part of the Ramadan ritual.
The first indications of the turmoil below would have been a slight tremor, or a few tumbling rocks down the mountainsides. In the cities they might have noticed the electricity flicker as the vibrations grew more powerful.
But then the full terrifying force of the quake hit, and for millions the world came crashing down around them.
People were buried under collapsed buildings, while up in the mountains, landslides sent large chunks of rock hurtling into the canyons where thousands made their homes.
Scientists measured the earthquake at 7.7 on the Richter scale, one of the biggest ever to strike Pakistan. And in the aftermath, rescue workers found the cities of Balakot and Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, destroyed. Many of the more remote regions were completely inaccessible due to flooding and landslides.
It is now estimated that more than 73,000 people were killed in the earthquake last October while more than three million were left homeless.
Workers for the Edinburgh-based charity Mercy Corps were among the first on the scene, with 180 already working in the region when the quake hit.
In the days and weeks after the disaster, as hundreds of aftershocks continued to rock the area, their first aim was getting medical aid to the people there, treating broken bones and wounds caused by falling debris.
"It was a very difficult situation to work in, because of the sheer scale of the devastation," says Mervyn Lee, executive director of Mercy Corps, Europe. "We had to get medical aid out to the mountains, which were completely cut off in places. The army was incredibly helpful, as it provided helicopters to help get aid to the most remote regions.
"In the aftermath of the quake our people were able to deliver medical aid to around 55,000, and provided blankets and shelters to around 65,000."
A year on, however, fears are again growing for the millions who remain homeless. "There was concern a year ago about the effect the winter would have on those people who had been left homeless and as winter comes around again, sadly there are again growing fears for the population," says Mervyn.
"Of the 62,000 temporary shelters we built, around 80 per cent are still occupied. The government has drawn up plans for the re-building of the area, but the implementation has not been easy.
"It is a huge task to rebuild a city, and while we had hoped to have people in solid homes by March, that did not happen."
To date Mercy Corps has spent more than £6 million in the region - more than £1.5m of it raised in Edinburgh - providing medical aid, supplies and training, as they work with local people to help rebuild their shattered communities.
Mervyn believes they will be there for at least a decade, with major reconstruction work already taking far longer than planned. "It is worse in the remote regions, as while the roads have improved these areas are still very difficult to get to. We have done a lot of work however, helping people rebuild not just their homes but their communities. We always try to help improve upon what was there before, and so we have given people training in new building techniques, to make them more resilient to an earthquake."
Mercy Corps currently has more than 200 people working in the region, helping people in almost 80 different villages and cities to prepare for the winter, and the years to come.
"We are there for the long-term and we want to listen to what the people there say, find out what they want us to help with, and provide that help."
Anyone wishing to make a donation to Mercy Corps can visit
www.mercycorps.org.
YOUR VOTE
THIS is your last chance to cast your vote for the Edinburgh charity you feel deserves a £1000 funding boost.
We've teamed up with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to give five local registered charities £1000 each - but it's up to you to decide who should receive the cash.
To vote, all you need to do is call the number that coincides with the charity you want to get the money. Calls cost 10p.
RICHMOND'S HOPE BEREAVEMENT PROJECT
To vote call 0901-192 9380
PARENTS TOGETHER
To vote call 0901-192 9381
SANDS LOTHIAN
To vote call 0901-192 9392
GARVALD CENTRE
To vote call 0901-192 9393
MS THERAPY CENTRE
To vote call 0901-192 9394
THE DEAN AND CAUVIN TRUST
To vote call 0901-192 9395
SIMPSON'S SPECIAL CARE BABIES
To vote call 0901-192 9396
THE ROYAL BLIND ASYLUM AND SCHOOL
To vote call 0901-192 9397
THE YARD ADVENTURE CENTRE
To vote call 0901-192 9398
ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND
To vote call 0901-192 9399
