more than 100 people are dead after a fire in a temple in southern india. this is al jazeera. live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead, belgian prosecutors say the brussels attackers had initially planned to strike in france. g7 foreign ministers gather for talks in japan. north korea is expected to top the agenda. signs of ageing, we take a look at the empathy machine that gives young people the chance to feel what it's really like to grow old

first some breaking news. an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 has hit remote north-western pakistan near the border with afghanistan. the quake was centred in pakistan at a depth of 210 kilometers. witness epz say building shook in the capital kabul and in islamabad. tremors were also felt in the india capital. many residents were forced to leave their homes according to witnesses. no words yet on casualty numbers. we will, of course, bring you the latest as and when we have it. more than 100 people have been killed after an explosion sparked after fireworks in southern india. emergency services are now struggling to help the injured.

>> reporter: every year this temple marks the new year's celebrations with a fireworks display and competition. once again, this year thousands of people had come to worship and watch the fireworks. it was halfway through the show when a spark set-off the rest of the fire works in storage leading to this scene. officials say most of the people who died were trapped by the flames in the crowded temple. after a storage shed next to it exploded. chunks of concrete and debris from the temple crushed worshippers. the explosion was felt within a 1 kilometer radius shattering the windows of homes and buildings in the area. >> translation: the families of the deceased will be provided financial assistance and the injured will be given free treatment by the government. the chief secretary has written

to the commission seek permission for assistance to the victims. >> reporter: nearby hospitals were overwhelmed. it is a small fishing and residential town not equipped to deal with the disaster of this scale. most of the injured were sent to the state capital nearly 70 kilometers away. with the rescue mission over, there are growing questions from residents. the temple did not have permission to hold the fireworks competition, saying there was no adequate safety measures or precautions in place. it is preparing for state elections and this disaster is becoming the focus of not only local politicians but also the country's prime minister. while the scale of this accident is exceptionally large, disasters at religious events and festivals happen frequently across the country. many say this incident is getting so much attention from

the government because of its timing ahead of elections. there will be questions about why the government has largely famed to respond to longstanding-- famed to respond to longstanding calms for policing-- calls for policing at events like this which draws a huge number of people prosecutors in belgium say a cell based there had intended to launch a strike in france but instead moved to carry out the bombings in brussels last month. the group changed its plan in response to a quick mf moving investigation. prosecutors said they've identified the so-called man in the hat. he was filmed on security cameras moments before suicide bombers detonated their explosives at brussels airport. it is this man, a 31-year-old belgian of morocco origin. he was wanted in connection with the paris attacks and was charged on saturday >> reporter: the so-called the man in the hat was among

europe's most wanted for weeks. he was seen here with the brussels suicide bombers and on friday after a series of raids in brussels belgian police said they had their man. he says he is the man in the hat. he was also identified as a suspect of the november 13 paris attacks. he has been charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group and terrorist murders. >> translation: we've expressed our appreciation to our security forces for their efforts, but we all know we have to stay very alert and thatway have to be very careful. that's why at this very moment a lot of military and police on the ground are to maintain our safety and security. >> reporter: a total of 162 people died in the attacks in brussels and paris. >> translation: i hope he will be able to give answers to what happened either in paris or brussels. also i know prosecutors can find out if there are other terrorist cells and suicide bombers and if

they have more supporters here. >> translation: yes. it's really important. the fact that belgian authorities got him. hopefully that means that the police are doing their job well. i think this is making brussels' residents and belgium in general feel safer. >> reporter: members of belgium's islamic community gartded outside the station on saturday to pay tribute to the victims of last month's attack. >> translation: this is something we do not tolerate. it is important for us to be present to show our support and thank the belgians who supported us. >> reporter: the expression of solidarity they say it is essential to make belgium safer and stronger. in the philippines at least 20 soldiers killed and 50 others injured. witnesses say about 100 fighters from the group battled troops in

the southern island. let's look at who the group ask. it was formed in the 1990s with funds from al-qaeda. leaders have recently pledged allegiance to i.s.i.l. it is an offshoot of the movement of the 1970s that left more than 100,000 people dead in the largely christian nation. it continues to push for a tonne me in the south of the philippines. it has a basis and routinely kid naps location and foreigners for huge ransoms. tell us about this operation against the group. why is it happening now and why have we seen such a high number of casualties among the soldiers?

>> reporter: the president gave the indication that it would be targeted. this group is particular group of the army was sent from another island and moved in preparation for in assault. the numbers of those killed are expected to rise. according to sources who told me there is still those number - the soldiers who are still missing at this point. at the moment the philippine military is still trying to extract those who are wounded in the battle zone. what we don't know at the moment is how many civilians have been affected. there seems to be not enough information coming from the philippine government. so, yes, they want to eliminate the presence of the group but it is expected to be bloody at this point this operation comes just three weeks elections in the philippines. how is the operation going to affect the conduct of the vote

in the group and how might it affect the way people vote as well. >> reporter: it has always been considered an election hot spot. although over the last few elections elections there have been relatively successful. it remains to be seen whether a special election will be voting there. it is expected to be very difficult for civilians to go around the streets, tro try and secure so many areas, especially right now that those who have been engaged in this operation seems to involve also civilians who are have their relationships with members of the group. now, there is one thing that we need to take note here and that is that this area of the group has been the kidnapping capital of south east asia. kidnap for ransom groups strive here. it is an industry where local

politicians are also believed to be involved. in fact, during election season kid namg goes up because it is believed to have been funding election campaigns. this is the situation that has a pattern over the last few years already thank you so much foreign ministers from the group of seven nations are meeting in japan. they have all sent their top diplomats to discuss a host of issues, including terrorism as well as ukraine and north korea. they're expected to meet the memorial to pay tribute to those who died 70 years ago in the bombing >> reporter: this city was chosen because of what happened here more than 70 years ago. on monday the u.s. secretary of state john kerry will become the highest ranking u.s. official to come here and lay a wreath here.

it is a memorial to all those who lost their lives when the military dropped an atomic bomb on this city. he will be joined by the six other g7 foreign ministers. it will be a very highly symbolic moment. japan's government is expected to issue a declaration at the end of the meeting calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons as well as peace. japan is in a very difficult position here because on the one hand it wants to see the elimination of nuclear weapons while on the other it is reliant on the nuclear umbrella that is provided by the united states before travelling to japan the u.s. secretary of state was in afghanistan for meetings with senior officials, including the president. shortly after he left three explosions went off in the

diplomatic area of kabul not far from where the meetings took place. there was no reports of injuries. egypt and saudi arabia have agreed on a 16 billion dollar investment fund. they've signed a dozen other agreements to improve trade and economic ties between the two countries. saudi arabia's king is in egypt on a five day state visit. on fry he announced a plan to build a bridge over the red sea connecting egypt and saudi arabia. as well as that, the two sides agreed to a new maritime map that identifies the red sea islands as shown here as saudi territory. this would benefit both countries. till ahead on al jazeera, chasing a fifth term, a presidential election in chad. the afghan artist doing her bit towards making her country more

aesthetically appealing. cally appealing.

top stories. more than a hundred people have died in a fire during a religious festival in india. police say the blaze started when stored fireworks exploded in the temple complex. belgian prosecutors say the brussels attackers had at first planned to strike in france. foreign ministers from the g7 group of industrialized nations

are meeting in japan. they will discuss the threat from armed groups as well as the north korean nuclear issue. syria's prime minister says the syrian army backed by russia's air force is preparing a joint operation to retake aleppo from rebel forces. the recent operations have led to a summering in refugee fleeing the area to neighboring turkey. nearly 3 million syrians are in turkey including a large number of children who have become separated from their families. >> reporter: this family has been through a lot. the terror of war in their syrian home town aleppo, the struggle to get out for the sake of their five children. it was nothing compared to what happened when they made it here to istanbul. the disappearance of their daughter. >> i won't stay here. even if the bombs are falling i will go back to syria but i can't go without my daughter.

>> reporter: she was playing in the streets outside the house when she vanished 18 months ago. her parents are convinced that she was abducted and is still alive. authorities have done little to find her they say. in most cases, the separation happening on the roads. she went missing just few steps from her new home where her family thought they had last found safety. the desperation took them to a popular morning show broadcast on turkish tv. so far the staff have been unable to find her, but they have been successful in many other cases. a group is staging a day of fun for these children. it is a demonstration to

authorities of how they rely on them >> translation: they're completely defenseless. turkey is in shock due to the high numbers. it is trying to create a system for managing the situation. it does not have a system in place yet. >> reporter: he says there are more than 50,000 unaccompanied children in turkey. we have been unable to obtain an firnl number from the government. they're not just worried about their daughter. they fear the effect it is having on her brothers and sisters. >> translation: she can't go upstairs or outside. she says they took her. they will also take me. they cannot even go outside. my son has night anywheres. he does all that he feels that he can. every weekend taking to the streets of this vast city hoping that someone will see a photograph, call a number and bring an end to the nightmare he has been living for the past year and a half.

tear gas has been used at the border. 11,000 people are stranded at the border. poland is marking the sixth anniversary of the plane crash that killed its president and dozens of top state officials. this year it has become a source of contention after it was implied that russia was behind the 2010 crash. >> reporter: a day of come them registration here on the sixth anniversary of the plane crash in which 96 people died, including the president and his wife along with officials, military leaders and mps here in poland. this is the sixth anniversary,

but for the first time the government has been involved in these commemorations and that is because the party, which is now led by his twin brother, is now in power. what unfolded in russia six years ago, the tragedy that unfolded is still very much on the minds of people here in poland. >> translation: i'm interested in a full explanation of what happened here and to show some respect as there has been very little respect over the last six years here. >> translation: i wish that in the spirit of solidarity and truth i can unite with the nation so we will never be ashamed of our identity and we could learn the truth about what happened. >> reporter: exactly what happened back in 2010 six years ago still very much at the forefront of people's minds here. the russian investigation at the time said that the pilots were to blame for the crash. polish investigation put the blame on the pilots and put some

of the blame on air traffic control. early this year a new investigation was launched by the new polish government trying to establish exactly what happened. earlier this year the defense minister suggested that there could have been foul play. the russian authorities have denied that. there has been a level of anger that the russians have not handed over the wreckage and have still got hold of the flight recorders. today very much a day of remembrance thinking about all the 96 people who died in that crash voting is underway in chad where the president is seek aing fufth term in office. -- a fifth term in office. he could be facing a tougher battle in year sudan's dafur region will start voting on whether to unify

its five states. they're being asked whether it should remain divided into five states or be brought together as one state. the president says the vote fulfils a peace agreement between the government and rebel groups who have been fighting for more than a decade. violence began in 2003 from forces loyal to the president and another on the other. two million people have been forced to flee their homes and nearly 1.4 million people have taken shelter in camps around sudan. >> reporter: fruits and vegetables, every color of the rainbow. the offerings in this market are as diverse as the people. in april voters will decide to keep the country into five states or make it the area of size france one region. >> translation: long ago we had one region and we didn't have

any services. since we had the five states established, the services are better. >> translation: this will not rupture the people. it will bring people together >> reporter: in 2003 armed rebels from non-arab tribes said they were fed up with the government turning its back on the area and neglecting its development. the violence became a genocide. the u.n. estimates as many as 300,000 people may have died, including from disease and malnutrition. more than 2.6 million people have been displaced. since 2011 the country has been comprised of five states. in a temporary compromise between the government and some rebel groups. now after several years of delays, the people will weigh in. it was hard to find someone here who wants dafur to become one region >> translation: for security reasons for our welfare it is

important for us to be one. >> reporter: opposition parties and a number of rebel groups agree and are boycotting the referendum. this man with the congress party says the election is a formality and the government will get what it wants, making it five states, splitting it along ethnic lines >> this will increase the division of the country the same way that they did for the south. we are expecting it to happen in the west. after some time, probably the west will ask for self-determination. >> reporter: the governor squashes that notion. >> >> translation: there is not a single state here based on ethnic background. there are no other motives other than to provide better services for the people. >> reporter: the referendum comes. the chasm clearly per cysts

between the government and the disparate rebel groups making peace a distant prospect a quick update on our breaking news story this hour. there are no immediate reports of casualties or damage after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hit remote western afghanistan. the u.s. geological survey says it was centred near pakistan. buildings shook in cab um, islamabad and new delhi. many residents were forced to leave their homes. afghanistan is frequently in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. eclipsing its rich heritage and ancient arts. one woman is dedicated to bringing the country's wealth and traditions back into view. >> translation: i graduated

from the sculpting department of the kabul university. my aim is to keep this art alive because it's a recognition of our culture which has been around for a thousand years in afghanistan. i do not regret choosing this profession. i will continue to work as an artist, even if it means my own safety is not certain. as a female artist, the only concern that i have is my security because there is no security in afghanistan. that's the reason so many women here do not take interest in any activity outside of their homes. i've come across people who make fun of my art and say it's a waste of time and no-one takes it seriously. i ask people to respect the

artefacts that artists craft and expect them to see the art from our perspective. people should not see it as an anti religious object. my sculptures are a show of art. artists whether women or men who create an artefact deserve respect. i'm hoping to build a large statue one day in intersections of kabul. so that i'm able to craft my dream project the effects of ageing is something that most of us want to avoid for as long as possible. new technology is able to show you what it feels like to grow old while there's still time to prepare for it. it's a suit that looks fit for a

super hero. complete with flashing lights and goggles. this skeleton doesn't give the wearer super strength >> reporter: i'm going to walk really slow. >> reporter: it sim latelies what it's like to grow hold. -- simulates. >> no-one wants to talk about getting older. this experience is a tactical way to get a conversation started naturally. >> reporter: not just with the senior set. displaying the suit at places like the liberty science center gives kids something to think about. the headset simulates what it's like to have vision disorders like glaucoma. >> this is what your left with. can you imagine walking around like in? >> reporter: no. >> reporter: as well as hearing impairments. >> reporter: the weight brings

you the reality of missing with the muscle loss. if i had to walk out with problems with my limbs and not seeing or hearing, it would be so disoriented orienting. i wp-- disorienting. i wouldn't want to go out from home. >> reporter: that's what we want to show. the engineers have created an empathy machine. >> to see someone who could move about and then watch her legs and the difficulty with which she moved and hear the sounds. it made it more personal for me >> if i were to sit a kid down and tell them i'm getting old, no-one is going to pay attention, no-one is going to pay attention to stuff in text, but if you can create an imher sieve experience, you can-- imher sieve experience-- immervive experience, you can change people's perceptions.

>> reporter: i'm going home now to put my feet up there's plenty more news on our website. aljazeera.com. the latest of all the stories and analysis and features. >> on august 3rd 2014 us and afghan special operations forces deployed to charkh district about sixty miles south of kabul to clear taliban from the area. there's nothing unusual about this. us special operations forces often accompany afghan soldiers on these sorts of missions. i was in afghanistan at the time of the opera.