Dreading aftershocks, hospital treats its wounded outdoors

Lying on makeshift beds on a hospital lawn in this hill town, hundreds of men, women and children wait for help, some screaming in pain.But they have to stay there for now, because doctors say the monster earthquake that rumbled through the region early on Saturday could have made the building dangerous.

Already at breaking point because of the flood of victims and a shortage of supplies, violent aftershocks added to the Ayub hospital’s worries. ‘‘We feel it is unsafe to keep patients inside,’’ Amir Shah, a senior doctor said. ‘‘Our doctors and staff are scared to go in. The building has already developed cracks.’’

Abbotabad is on the road to the epicentre of the quake and is just miles from the worst affected area, where thousands of people are feared to have died. Some of the injured Ayub hospital said they saw entire villages razed.