A community organisation has been accused of playing 'politics with people's lives' after delays in releasing money raised for the South Asia Earthquake.

The Kashmiri Association Blackburn (KAB) organisation pledged to release more than £30,000 raised for October's South Asia earthquake "earlier rather than later."

No specific date has been mentioned.

But local volunteer fundraisers are furious that the money is still sitting in the bank two months after the earthquake.

The money was collected by local volunteers on behalf of the group over the past eight weeks. Many local groups and mosques have already released money to charities.

Waqar Hussain a volunteer fundraiser who helped raise the money for the organisation said he was disappointed that the funds were still sitting in the bank as more and more people were dying in the disaster zone.

Its inconceivable the KAB committee is unaware of the urgency an unforgiving winter has settled in the affected areas and many victims are still without shelters. Volunteers who gave up their weekends and evenings fund raising are frustrated.

We understand that certain events have meant a delay in releasing the money but the disaster now deserves urgency.

The money was raised over a month ago now.

Initially it was hoped the money could be used to build a school or for other long-term projects in the region but a call for immediate action from international aid agencies and the Pakistani government has forced a re-think.

The President of the Kashmiri Association Blackburn (KAB) admitted funds raised in its name had yet to leave the country.

Mr Javaid Iqbal said, It may take a few days or a few weeks but we are still in the process of totalling up the exact amount and winding up this period of the fundraising process.

We would ideally like to release the funds immediately but we must go through the proper due process. The money will go earlier rather than later.

New elections at the Kashmiri Association on Sunday November 13 have also meant a delay in the administration process as have two deaths amongst the familys of the new executive committee.

However, many in the community feel that the committee are playing politics with people's lives.

Alan True who also helped with the fundraising effort said, I am fully aware fund distribution can have difficulties but surely this situation demands action now.

Another fundraiser Medhi Aftab, said, "For once young people got involved and raised money for a good cause by working together. But now many feel their efforts are being used by this community organisation as a means to 'politicise' the whole thing.

"All we want is the money to be released and to help the many people who desperately need it."