Places near quake epicentre still out of reach in Sikkim

Gangtok, Sept 20 (PTI) The worst-affected Mangan and
Singhtam areas in India's quake-hit north-eastern state of
Sikkim are still out of bounds for rescue workers with massive
landslides blocking key roads on Tuesday.
"These areas, near the epicentre of the earthquake, are
totally damaged. The roads from Gangtok to Mangan are blocked
by massive landslides on at least 14 places," Indian Army
officials said following an aerial survey in the area.
The earthquake has left a trail of devastation damaging
roads, houses, and other structures, uprooting mobile phone
towers and snapping communication and power lines.
At least 41 people have been killed in the earthquake in
Sikkim. Twenty-two people travelling in a bus went missing
since last evening in the North district of Sikkim.
The North district headquarters of Mangan, located 65 km
from Gangtok, seems to be totally devastated, officials said.
Both the routes to Mangan are cutoff by landslides and
developed huge cracks following the earthquake. Efforts are
being made to provide relief and rescue operations to the
affected people in this area through helicopters, officials
said.
Food packets have been dropped in the inaccessible areas
of the state. Army troops, National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) teams and disaster management authorities are working
round-the-clock to clear the debris and open roads. Relief
efforts have been hampered by torrential rain and landslides
in most areas of the state.
A team of NDRF has been trying to move through Singhtham
to reach Mangam and provide relief material to the affected
people.
A PTI correspondent visiting earthquake-hit areas of
Sikkim reported that people are still in a state of panic.
People are so scared that they are not entering their
houses which have developed cracks or have got tilted after
the earthquake. Many people were found sitting on roadsides,
public places and near temples.
Tourists are yet to get over the shock. They have not
yet been able to leave Gangtok and other places of the state
as the roads are either damaged or blocked by landslides.
"We can return only after the roads open. We are still
in shock and cannot forget the moment when the earth shook
heavily. Most of the time we are staying outside," Joy Basu,
who came from from Sodepur near Kolkata with his family,
said.
Power and telephone lines have been restored in Gangtok.
But the fringe areas of the town are enveloped in darkness and
cut off from the rest of the world. All telephone connections
outside Gangtok are still out of service.