Quake toll climbs to 72; landslides, rains hamper rescue work

Gangtok, Sept 19 (PTI) Battling landslides and torrential
rains in quake-hit northeastern Indian state Sikkim, rescue
teams got into full swing on Monday as the death toll in the
6.8 magnitude temblor mounted to 72, including 41 in the
Himalayan state.
Sunday evening's earthquake with its epicentre near the
border with Nepal, left a trail of devastation damaging roads,
buildings and other structures, uprooting mobile phone towers
and snapping communication and power lines.
After shocks made people panic in several areas forcing
them to spend the night outdoors.
The death toll may go up. Union Home Secretary R K Singh
said nothing can be ruled out as people may still be trapped
under the debris of collapsed houses since rescue teams were
still trying hard to reach all villages.
Food packets were air dropped in the inaccessible
quake-affected areas.
Two medical teams with doctors and paramedics reached
worst affected Mangan and Sangthan with the help of
helicopters and Border Roads Organisation has been able to
reopen the Himalayan state's life line-the National Highway
31-A, Singh said.
West and South districts in Sikkim remained mostly
inaccessible to the Army in the earlier part of the day due to
landslides and inclement weather and rescuers were facing an
uphill task to reach these areas, Major General S L
Narasimhan, GOC 17 Mountain Division, said.
Sikkim accounted for 41 deaths alone, with most
casualties taking place in the North District and in towns and
villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located
along the course of Teesta river, officials in the district
control room said.
The Home Secretary said ten bodies of employees of
Teesta Hydro Electric Project were recovered from the debris
in Singtam.
The overnight toll climbed to 72 which included nine
deaths in West Bengal and eight in Bihar,seven each Nepal and
Tibet, official reports said. Over a hundred people have been
injured.
22 people travelling in a bus went missing since last
evening in north Sikkim. A spokesman of the 17 Mountain
Division said the army was still not able to find the missing
bus which could be anywhere between a radius of 10 and 15 km
along Mangan and Chungthang in north Sikkim.
Rescue workers struggled hard to clear boulders which
came tumbling down following the quake, blocking roads.
Panic-stricken residents of the affected areas spent a
sleepless night apprehending more tremors braving cold, chilly
winds and pouring rain.
An official update in Delhi tonight said NH 55 from
Bagdogra to Darjeeling has been restored and the highway
from Darjeeling to Nathu La is expected to be cleared by 6 PM
tomorrow.
"10 doctors have been airlifted to Chungthang in North
Sikkim and medicines are being airlifted to Bagdogra from
where they will be sent to Chungthang. 20 Medical detachments
have been deployed by army," the official update said.
The optical fiber link to Gangtok which had been
disrupted is now restored.
The Army has opened relief camps for 2,000 people and
ITBP opened camps for 400 others.
"In the entire operation, 5,500 army personnel were
engaged apart from 700 ITBP personnel. The BRO has done
commendable job by reopening the highway linking Gangtok with
Siliguri this afternoon," the Home Secretary said.
Singh said Sikkim power corporation has been able to
restore power connection partially while landline telephone
connection with Sikkim is functioning normally.
Nine helicopters were engaged in carrying out rescue and
relief operations -- mostly in worst-hit North district --
despite poor weather.
Narasimhan said army has launched 'Operation Madad' in
Gangtok and other areas."We are also sending teams to
Darjeeling and Kalimpong (in West Bengal)," he said.
About 400 people from quake-hit areas in North Sikkim
have been rescued and taken to safe locations, the Indo-
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said.
Besides 26 tourists, including international visitors,
were also taken to safe places and the road connectivity in
the worst-hit Pegong area is likely to be restored soon.
"People have been rendered homeless. About 700 personnel
are roped in for the rescue mission," ITBP Director General
Ranjit Sinha said.
He said villages near Pegong were drastically affected in
the 6.8 richter scale quake that jolted most of the Northern
States.
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling visited the
quake-hit areas in and around the capital town to assess
damages.
The Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia compensation of
Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for those
grievously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor
injuries.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs two
lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the
earthquake and Rs one lakh each for those seriously injured.
Several tourists from West bengal were stranged in
Gangtok, Namchi and Kumgon in Sikkim with most of the
connecting roads cracked open or blocked due to landslides.
Nine people have died in different areas of north Bengal,
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited Kurseong in
Darjeeling district, said.
In Bihar, eight people have died with several houses
being damaged in four districts. While Darbhanga alone
accounted for four deaths, one each was reported from Nawada,
Nalanda, Bhagalpur and Sheorhar districts, officials at the
state headquarters said.
Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that at
least seven persons have been killed and 22 others injured in
Tibet in the quake which has caused landslides and has
disrupted traffic, power and water supplies as well as
telecommunication in Yadong County, an area 40 km away from
Sikkim.
Three people were killed at Lainchaur in Kathmandu, two
in Sunsari district, and one each in Dhankuta and
Sankhuwasabha districts in eastern Nepal, according to Home
Ministry sources in the Nepalese capital.