New Delhi, Sept 18: A powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude rocked Sikkim and other parts in the North East on Sunday, leaving at least fifteen persons killed and more than 200 others injured besides causing extensive damage to several buildings.
Four persons were killed in Sikkim — two at Singtham, one at Dikchu in East Sikkim district and another at Mangan — as the government sought Army's assistance in reaching help to the affected, state Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso told PTI.
One person was killed in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal and another in Nalanda district in Bihar. Five people were killed and over 50 others injured as initial reports of devastation came from Nepal.
The National Disaster Relief Force in on way to Sikkim and would reach Sikkim by Monday, Gyatso said.
Many tall buildings developed cracks in Gangtok and Darjeeling and window panes shattered as people came out in large numbers in panic. The earthquake claimed one life at Singtham in East Sikkim district, while another died just outside Singtham.
The epicentre of the quake — the biggest in two decades — was located at Mangan and Sakyong areas, over 50 km from Gangtok on Sikkim—Nepal border.
Tremors were felt in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi.
Several buildings developed major cracks in the state as personnel of the Disaster Management were deployed, Mr. Gyatso said.
Two buildings of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) collapsed in Pegong area though there was no immediate report of any casualty, a senior official said.
Three after shocks of 5.7, 5.3 and 4.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale were felt in the region within 30 minutes of the first quake.
“Tremors were felt between 30 seconds to one minute in some parts of Sikkim, including Gangtok,” Shailesh Nayak, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said in Delhi.
Gyatso described it as “a massive earthquake. We have alerted the armed forced and the paramilitary personnel.”
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered help in all possible ways, including availability of defence forces.
The Prime Minister directed Cabinet Secretary to call an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority, PMO sources said.
IAF planes pressed into service
Five IAF aircraft have been pressed into service for relief operations in quake-hit Sikkim.
While two C-130J Hercules aircraft have been deployed from Hindon to Bagdogra airbase, two AN-32 aircraft along with another Avro aircraft have been sent for the earthquake relief operations in Sikkim, an Indian Air Force spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that helicopters, if required, could be sent from Eastern Air Command areas for the relief operations.
A government spokesman, however, said while one aircraft is pressed into service from Palam to Bagdogra and one from Kolkata to Bagdogra, along with personnel of the National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) and equipment, for the relief operations.
From Bagdogra airbase, the spokesman added, the NDRF would go by road which is being facilitated by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the West Bengal Government.
The quake which was felt for some seconds around 6:10 pm triggered panic among the people who were enjoying their Sunday evening.
NDRF teams being sent
Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force — five each from Delhi and Kolkata — are being sent to assist in the relief and rescue operations, R. K. Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, in the Home Ministry, said.
R.S. Basnet, Principal Secretary to Sikkim Chief Minister's Office said Army's assistance has been sought.
A woman was seriously injured in Gangtok near a cinema hall in the market area when stones from an wall fell on her, he said.
Reports said a building housing a small hotel in Sintam in East Sikkim district collapsed and people were being evacuated. Another house collapsed in Dikchu town in the same district. A portion of the market at Dikchu also collapsed.
Several buildings in Gangtok developed major cracks and people were seen moving to the Paljor stadium and other open areas.
Power and water supply connections got snapped and continuous rains during the last three days worsened the situation.
Around 200 people have been brought to the ITBP relief camp in Gangtok.
Army columns in small teams were deployed in rescue mission across Sikkim. The columns comprised medical teams with first aid, engineer detachments and relief and rescue units, an army official said.
One person was killed when a mud house collapsed in Milan tea garden due to earthquake in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, District Magistrate S. Mahapatra said. The deceased, around 20 years old, has not been identified, he said.
National Highway 31 developed a major crack between Maynaguri and Lataguri area in the district.
People in Jalpaiguri town, where power supply and telephone communication snapped, rushed out of their houses and gathered on the roads and open
In the national capital, the tremor was felt in certain parts — the second such experience within a fortnight after Delhiites were jolted around midnight on September 7.
Delhi's suburb Gurgaon and some other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced very mild tremor.
The quake was also felt in various parts of Bihar, a Patna report said. As buildings shook, people rushed out to open places.
A report from Darbhanga district in north Bihar said the quake was felt there too. The tremor was also felt in Madhubani, Samastipur, Nawada, Munger and other districts.
Neighbouring Jharkhand also felt the shock, according to a Ranchi report.
“We saw computers, chairs and tables rattling in our office,” said Manu Singh and Binod Singh, who were among those who rushed out in the open.
People in Sahebganj and Giridih also experienced the tremor.
In the north, besides the national capital, the tremors were felt in Jaipur and nearby areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Panic gripped people in Lucknow and some other places in Uttar Pradesh where the quake was also felt. The tremors were felt in Mau, Azamgarh, Deoria, Ballia and other towns.
The earthquake was also experienced in parts of Haryana and Chandigarh where the intensity was mild.
A Bhopal report said reports of tremors were received from Gwalior, Bhopal, Hoshangabad and other parts of Madhya Pradesh.
In the wake of the earthquake in Sikkim, Union Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth tonight chaired a meeting of the National Disaster Management team to oversee the relief and rescue operations in the state.
Defence Secretary, Home Secretary and top officials of the National Disaster Relief Force were among those who attended the meeting held at cabinet secretariat here.
A powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude jolted Sikkim and several areas of northeast and neighbouring Nepal leaving at least 15 persons dead and over 100 injured besides causing extensive damage to several buildings. PTI
