Earthquakes unlikely in Sikkim for next few years, says expert

Sikkim is unlikely to face any large earthquake over the next couple of years as vast energy has been released through last Sunday's tremors and  aftershocks, says SK Nath, senior professor of geology and geophysics, IIT-Kharagpur.

Although the recent earthquake left scores dead and devastated vast areas in north Sikkim, the leading geologist says the damage would have been worse had its full fury been felt in the state's more populous south, where no building code is followed.

"Though many people have died in Sikkim, I must say that Sikkim was lucky this time as the epicentre of the earthquake was the Sikkim-Nepal border," he said.

"That is why the northern part faced the wrath and south Sikkim did not face much problem," said Nath, who has been working extensively on the microzonation and seismicity of the Sikkim region since 1995.

"It was quite a large earthquake and it also released a few aftershocks," said Nath. "So I can say that for at least the next couple of years there will be no such earthquake in Sikkim."

He rubbished reports of Mangan in the north district being the epicentre of the earthquake.

"I do not know from where reports are coming that Mangan is the epicentre. It is in the middle of Sikkim. Had Mangan been the epicentre, the whole of Bhutan and North Bengal up to Siliguri would have been in ruins," Nath told IANS in an interview.

Nath, who has been teaching in IIT-Kharagpur since 1988, said the main reason for earthquakes in India is the Indian plate going under the Eurasian plate.

"The Indian plate is still going under the Eurasian plate. It is going under at a rate 46 millimetres per year," said Nath.

Nath, the principal investigator on the project of Department of Earth Sciences Microzonation of Sikkim Region, submitted a report in 2006 regarding what kind of quake-proof buildings should come up in the hill state.

According to Nath, Sikkim is divided into two seismic zones: North Sikkim falls under seismic zone 4 and South Sikkim, which includes areas of Gangtok and Singtham, falls under seismic zone 5.

Seismic Microzonation is a process by which an area is divided into zones -- in accordance with the character of the area such as ground shaking, susceptibility, rock fall hazard and earthquake-related flooding.

"If you go to south Sikkim, which falls in Zone 5, it has a lot of two lean buildings side by side, with very little gap between them. No building code is followed there," said Nath, who received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 2002.

"It is true that Sikkim's mainstay is tourism and Gangtok its main attraction. But there should be a proper procedure for construction of buildings," said Nath.

Source: Hindustan Times

Living on the edge, dangerously

"And then the path vanished. Had it not been for the bright moonlight, we might have walked straight into a void. The rain had caused a landslide, and where there had been a narrow path there was now only a precipice of loose, slippery shale." -'The Glacier' by Ruskin Bond

Living on the edge is not just a figure of speech for people in the hills. Writer or tiller, they all live close to nature's bounty - and its boundless fury. And nowhere is the danger starker than in the Indian Himalayas, among the world's most earthquake-prone zones. Major parts, including Kashmir and the Northeast, fall in Zone V - the most seismically active. But the towns standing on these heaving hills seem oblivious of the risks as they build with a vengeance.

Quake-hit Gangtok is a clutter of concrete buildings, all of them hanging on precariously to steep mountain slopes. Most of them have developed ominous cracks after the September 18 quake. "Some of these buildings have to be evacuated immediately, and also the ones that are below them down the hill," an engineer inspecting the damage says.

Experts say that none of the buildings in the Sikkimese capital, which draws lakhs of tourists every year, are earthquake-resistant. Pankaj Adhikari, an architect in Gangtok, says the city doesn't have a proper building code, "and even the archaic one that does exist is flouted at will". Buildings with more floors than five-and-half storeys - the maximum allowed - are common and no action has ever been taken against such constructions, he fumes.

"The simple ABC of building codes for earthquake-prone regions is that all structures should resist minor to moderate earthquakes (3 to 5.9 on the Richter scale) undamaged; resist moderate to major (6 to 7.9) earthquakes without significant structural damage and survive severe earthquakes (8 or more) without collapse," Adhikari says. "But more than 90% buildings in Gangtok have suffered structural damage in Sunday's earthquake which was in the 'strong' category."

In the last 100 years, the Northeast has experienced hundreds of temblors of varying intensity - 210 between 5 and 5.9; 128 between 6 and 6.9; 15 between 7 and 7.9, and four of 8 or above magnitude. But, learning no lessons from the past, almost all the state capitals have turned into concrete jungles. Shillong is no exception. "People can no longer afford the luxury of spacious Assam-type buildings on sprawling compounds, and are forced to go for concrete constructions due to constraint of space," says an official in the Meghalaya capital's department of urban affairs. The state also has several unorganized coal mining projects. A major quake could spell disaster for these 'rat hole' mines and their workers.

Large dams add to the risk. As many as 168 dams are planned in Arunachal Pradesh alone to tap the state's 50,000MW hydro-power potential. Construction work is already on for the 2000MW Lower Subansiri Project, the country's biggest hydro-power dam. Several organizations have opposed such projects out of concern for Assam which is located downstream. An expert committee, comprising faculty from IIT Guwahati, Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University, in its report submitted to the Assam government in 2010 raised the issue of threat from the Lower Subansiri Project due to its location in the seismic zone.

Sunday's earthquake also shook the Darjeeling Hills. But worse is yet to come, warn experts. The fragile nature of the hills and their vulnerability to landslides compounds these fears. Kalimpong based Praful Rao, founder-member of Save the Hills (STH), an NGO working for raising awareness about landslides, says unplanned urban development is causing more landslides. "Deforestation and man-made drains in the mountains have further weakened the hills," he says.

Unchecked construction is another big concern. "Nowadays, more than five-storey buildings are being constructed here. There are over 400-500 such structures in the town area itself," says Bharat Prakash Rai, secretary of Fosep (Federation of Society for Environment Protection). He says the permissible height of 11.5m is being flouted. "Huge constructions are coming up at more than 60-degree slopes (twice the recommended limit)." Darjeeling Municipality engineer Vijay Tamang says they are now trying to control that.

The Dalai Lama's home, too, has seen unprecedented growth with a slew of hotels, monasteries and educational institutes coming up in the past decade. Dharamshala is the headquarters of Himachal's Kangra district which witnessed last century's biggest earthquake in 1905. The epicentre of that temblor, which killed 20,000 people, was near Mcleodganj, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. "Dharamshala lies in the Schuppen Zone in which closely spaced, mutually thrusted belts of various rocks lie delicately stuck over each other, making it one of the most dangerous areas. The soil and rocks in towns like Dharamshala are burdened under heavy construction and can give in at the slightest tremor," says Chandigarh-based geology professor A D Ahluwalia.

And what of Shimla, capital of Himachal? Almost the entire town, in Seismic Zone IV, could come crumbling down in the event of a major quake. The state's town and country planning minister, Mohinder Singh, recently told the Assembly that 98% of the buildings in Shimla were not safe. Less than 2% were earthquake-resistant, he said. Shimla is also a landslide-prone area and heavy construction pressure has started sinking the historic Ridge. "Should a disaster strike Shimla, it is bound to be of catastrophic proportions," says environmentalist Billy Malhans.

As for J&K, a legislation is in the works to make quake-resistant private buildings mandatory. This comes six years after parts of the state were flattened by a devastating earthquake. The state government had earlier issued guidelines that no government building shall be constructed unless it complies with Bureau of Indian Standards codes on quake resistance. Disaster management cell coordinator Aamir Ali says building bylaws have been amended "clause by clause" in consultation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's national seismic advisor Anand S Arya. The Bill is now awaiting an Assembly nod.

"We have trained masons, engineers, architects and structural engineers in earthquake risk management," says Ali. "We have also roped in imams to convey the message. That has helped a lot."

(With reports from Naresh Mitra, Guwahati; Manosh Das, Shillong; S Gopal Puri, Chandigarh; Ravinder Makhaik, Shimla, and Sameer Arshad, Delhi)

Source: Times of India

Earthquake damage in Darjeeling district assessed at Rupees 3400 crores

Preliminary reports of the Darjeeling District Administration pegged the damage caused by the 6.8 magnitude quake in the Darjeeling district in West Bengal at three thousand and four hundred crore Rupees. "We have made a preliminary assessment of the damages. It is to the tune of approximately and includes the assessment  by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council of three thousand crore Rupees for the Darjeeling district", Saumitra Mohan, district magistrate Darjeeling told HT.

The damages include houses partially and fully damaged, roads, "Jhoras" (springs with embankments) and water supply lines.

"Around 2,802 houses are fully damaged and 52,900 houses partially damaged in the district", stated the Officer-in-charge of the Relief Department, Darjeeling.

Meanwhile the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has also decided to send a Central Committee team to Sikkim in a day or two to meet chief minister Pawan Chamling. The GJM has also decided to conduct its own assessment of the damages caused by the quake in the three hill sub divisions of Darjeeling district.

"We will form a survey team to access the damage and hand over the report to the state government within a week. All GJM local committees will access the damages in their respective areas and report to this survey team based on which the report will be prepared", stated Bimal Gurung, President, GJM.

The survey team will include the 4 GJM MLAs. The GJM has demanded that a National Disaster Management unit should be stationed in the Darjeeling Hills at least during monsoons.

North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb has requested the Siliguri Municipal Corporation not to sanction any plans for new constructions in the Siliguri Municipal areas.

"Building rules are not being followed. I will be meeting the Muncipal Affairs minister and request him that building rules are implemented stringently. Meanwhile we will be inviting a team of experts from IIT Roorkee so that they can advice us on future constructions and restoration work", stated Deb.

Source: Hindustan Times

Sikkim toll 72, labourers feared trapped in tunnels

Vijay Kumar, a businessman from Mysore, was looking forward to a pleasant vacation. The day the 6.8 richter earthquake shook Sikkim, Kumar had just arrived in Lachung in north Sikkim. "On Sunday, we had just reached and after a cup of tea we went out for a walk when the earth shook. The next minute the road vanished," said Kumar, whose wife and friend, Sanjay Kumar, were also trapped with him.

Sanjay, a Mysore-based jeweller, was hit in his leg by a rock. "After spending some time out in the open, we came back to the hotel, considering it a safer option. The army and local residents were extremely helpful. The locals shared their food with us, despite shortage," he said.

After 72 hours of complete isolation from the outside world, Vijay Kumar and 74 other tourists, including four foreigners - 2 Norwegians and 2 US nationals - finally heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday.

The same day chief minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling admitted that nine villages in north Sikkim were still inaccessible and it would take about a month to restore complete connectivity.

Sikkim's information and public relations secretary Karma Soman Tobgey said rescue operations would resume on Thursday. "Dzongo village, which is totally cut off, might have some stranded tourists," he added.

Meanwhile, the death toll due to landslides in Sikkim reached 72. It is feared that labourers from others states working in hydel projects in north Sikkim are trapped inside tunnels.

Ahmed Sayed Lasker a junior engineer with the Teesta Urja Hydel project at Ramam, 130 km from Gangtok, said, "The tunnels are safe and hundreds of workers who had taken shelter in the tunnels have already reached safer places." But he was unable to confirm whether all workers had been rescued.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi visited Lungsey on the outskirts of the state headquarters Mangan amidst tight security.

Source: Hindustan Times

Sikkim earthquake: Body count rises

MANGAN/GANGTOK: A grimmer picture of devastation in quake-hit Sikkim emerged on Tuesday as soldiers blasted boulders blocking hill roads and reached isolated areas like Mangan, 65km from Gangtok. With help reaching faraway regions, the body count from Sunday's temblor raced passed 130 and could rise as many more are feared trapped.

Officially, Sikkim has so far confirmed 58 deaths, the rest of the casualties being from Bhutan, Nepal, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. But as shocking details emerged, authorities feared at least 40 workers at a hydel power plant site in North Sikkim's Saffo might have perished within minutes, caught in a mountain duct when the tectonic plates under the lower Himalayas shook. Dozens others are missing and feared trapped in the same hydel project site and there's no confirmation of the number of people engaged there.

Saffo is 9km downstream from Chungthang and the accident site is around 30km downstream from the popular tourist destination Lachen. An engineer working for the Hyderabad-based Athena Group, which is handling the project, said 15 workers had died at the site and at least 10 were missing. The tragedy came to light on Tuesday when officials of the Teesta Urja Co-a joint venture between the Hyderabad-based company and the Sikkim Power Department-chartered a chopper to airlift the body of D D Gupta, a senior officer.

Government sources said when they learnt of the airlift, they asked company officials where they had found Gupta's body. The officials were initially hesitant, but ultimately revealed the shocking story. Gupta, a quality control officer, had entered an access tunnel leading to the 1,200 MW Teesta Stage III Hydel Project site deep in the mountain recess.

When the temblor struck about 40 workers were drilling through the mountain to carry water from the dam at Chungthang, 100km from Gangtok, to the generation plant downstream at Mangan, Athena officials suspect. "It appears that some tunnels collapsed burying the men deep in the mountain," a government source said.

"It is unlikely that any of the workers survived the earthquake (that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale). And even if they did, it's doubtful that they'd hold out for very long. The area is mountainous and it will take days before tunnels are re-excavated and the bodies pulled out," a government official said.

Till late Tuesday afternoon, the company maintained that the construction site was intact and about eight people-six labourers and two junior engineers-had died when a boulder crushed their car near Saffo. But, now there are fears that Teesta Urja hasn't come out with the full disaster story. Several hundred workers are engaged at the construction site. A company official denied any tunnel had collapsed at Saffo.

Elsewhere, rescue teams inched close to the quake epicenter and columns of soldiers, riding trucks, tractors and earthmovers and armed with drills, cutters and pick-axes, completed an arduous trek to enter Mangan, the flattened headquarters of the North Sikkim district.

Mangan was a picture of devastation as many anxious and distraught residents waited as National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel with Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Indian Army men toiled to clear debris from blocked roads. The army used explosives to blow up boulder piles, some as tall as three-story buildings. In Gangtok, Sikkim DGP Jasbir Singh said he feared the toll could go much higher. "Yes, large areas are still cut off. We fear the toll could rise."

At Mangan, brick and mortar churches had collapsed, giant boulders blocked roads and landslides had flattened entire localities. "On reaching Mangan, we realized the epicenter was 50km north, where villages and habitations have suffered the worst damage," an NDRF officer said. Rescue teams set off for the area but their progress was stopped by a fresh landslide.

Source: Times of India

Sikkim earthquake unusual according to geologists

The earthquake that rocked Sikkim on Sunday is unusual in terms of its magnitude and nature of origin, say leading geologists. "There is nothing surprising in this earthquake as the region north of Sikkim, which forms the outliers of Tibetan tectonics, is known for moderate earthquakes in
the past," C P Rajendran at the Indian Institute of Science here told IANS.

But what makes it different is its "unusually greater magnitude".

These earthquakes are different in the sense they are along the somewhat north-south structures trending transverse to the east-west Himalayan axis, Rajendran said. They are different from the usual Himalayan thrust earthquakes that are caused by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate.

Vineet Gahaulat at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad said: "The (Sikkim) earthquake highlights the presence of the role of transverse features in the Himalayas."

"This 6.9 magnitude earthquake possibly occurred on a northwest-southeast trending almost vertical fault through strike slip motion."

"This is what we generally do not expect in the Himalayas," Gahaulat told IANS. "We expect large magnitude earthquakes on the detachment having thrust motion on gently dipping planes - like the 1999 Chamoli and 1991 Uttarkashi earthquakes."

Gahaulat said the role of transverse features in segmenting the Himalayan arc and accommodating some of the convergence of the India-Eurasia plates have been talked about earlier.

"But this one (Sikkim quake) makes it clearer as this is possibly the largest magnitude earthquake of this type in the Himalayas."

Gahaulat is also surprised at the fewer number of aftershocks - only two to three aftershocks of magnitude greater than 4.5. "So where are all the aftershocks gone? Are they yet to occur in the following days," he asked.

According to Gahaulat, "we need to be careful" if, in the coming days, the aftershocks occur southeast of the main shock epicentre - the way two aftershocks have occurred.

"The region where the main shock occurred has very low population density, but further southeast, population density is higher," he cautioned.

"The occurrence of this earthquake does not lower down the threat from the great earthquake which we expect in the Himalayas," the NGRI scientist warned.

The one (or more) which is expected will be a thrust type earthquake on the detachment which will be much more devastating than this one, he said.

"We need to treat each and every earthquake in a special way, you just need to turn it around and it will tell a somewhat different story."

Rajendran, however, does not think this particular event in Sikkim can be treated as a precursory signal to any major earthquake that may occur in future along the Himalayan arc.

"Having said that, the fact remains that some historically earthquake-deficient parts of the Himalayas has the potential to generate large earthquakes any time, irrespective of the present earthquake," he cautioned.

Source: Hindustan Times

Rahul Gandhi visits earthquake-hit areas of Sikkim

New Delhi: Three days after the devastating earthquake, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was in Sikkim on Wednesday. Gandhi headed to affected areas across Gangtok to meet victims and their families.

He was scheduled to make a trip to Meghalaya on Wednesday for a public meeting of Youth Congress membership but changed his plan to include this visit.

Gandhi visited Gangtok on Wednesday morning before attending the scheduled Youth Congress meeting in Meghalaya.

His Youth Congress membership meeting is scheduled at 11:30 am at Mini Stadium, Ampathi in West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya.

The death toll in Sunday's powerful temblor has shot up to 82, 68 in India, including 53 in Sikkim, while more than 3,000 people have been rescued in quake-hit areas of Sikkim by defence forces so far.

With Additional Inputs from PTI

Sikkim Earthquake: Death toll rises

The death toll in the 6.9-earthquake that convulsed Sikkim last night crossed 70 this evening as Army columns and paramilitary personnel battled torrential rain, mist and landslides that cut off affected areas and stalled relief and rescue work.

North and East Sikkim are the worst affected, where major stretches remain disconnected from Gangtok. Even where diggers and heavy earth movers barrelled their way through, rescue teams had a trying time reaching out to those trapped in the rubble. Until late tonight, medical teams were trying to reach Mangan, the spot closest to the epicentre of the quake. This despite the fact that the road to Mangan was cleared by late afternoon. Elsewhere, boulders and debris mark what were once roads.

Sikkim alone accounted for 41 deaths, most of them in the North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the Teesta river, officials said.

Officials said that when the quake struck last evening, there were several vehicles on the Gangtok-Mangan route and many of these could have been “tossed off the road” or crushed under moving mountains of debris. “We have reports of several people missing but can only act on these once the road is restored,” said an official. As many as 22 people travelling in a bus are reported missing since last evening in north Sikkim.

As dusk descended over the hills today, marking 24 hours of the quake, panic returned to haunt residents. At Rongpo, an hour’s drive from Gangtok, the commercial hub was shut down and people were huddled under the cloud-covered sky. “There are fears that the quake may return tonight as well. We are not taking any chances and have come out in the open. How long we will be able to stand out we don’t know, but when we return to our homes, there is a strange feeling that’s overpowering many,” said a resident.

As many as 105 Army columns, with an estimated 5,000 personnel, have moved into the affected areas. Their primary objective is to restore road, telecom and power links. Colonel Om Prakash, an Army spokesman, said as many as 20 blockades had been cleared on National Highway 3, linking Siliguri to Gangtok. But airdropping operations had to be abandoned because of bad weather — about 2000 packets of dry food and matchboxes sat at Bagdogra airport. Electricity and telecom links were partially restored in Gangtok.

In the city’s outskirts, labourers from many project worksites have fled their posts and moved to Gangtok where several families have pitched tents in open spaces where they prepared to spend a second night.

Said Gopal Chhetri, Superintendent of a pharmacy college hostel, “Himalayan Home,” about 35 km from Gangtok: “I had a full house till yesterday with 280 student boarders. Today, I am left with just 60, many of them are trying to leave and go home.” These included Prasanta Sinha, a student form Bankura; Kamalendu Bagchi form Tripura and Dip, a second-year student. All stood by the highway trying to hitch a ride to Siliguri and home. Chhetri said: “As long as all the students don’t leave, I can’t. It’s a nightmare to live in rooms with all the walls cracked.” One of his students, Sandipan Banerjee, was killed when the roof caved in.

One of his cousins, Chiranjit Sinha, flew today to collect the body. On the flight here, he ran into West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also left for Siliguri and Darjeeling today. She assured his family of all help.

At Singtam, the fire station is the new shelter. Vandana Chhetri, wife of D K Chhetri, a fire brigade havildar, is fighting the trauma. “It is terrible to stare at the cracks on the walls and ignore the fear,” said Vandana. Public address announcements urging people to be alert has added to the panic. A three-storied building behind the fire station collapsed yesterday injuring many.

In next door West Bengal, the death toll until late tonight was eight, most from Darjeeling where, according to preliminary estimates, as many as 70% of the buildings had developed cracks. The Rajbari in Darjeeling, a landmark, has developed wide cracks while the ceiling in two rooms of the District Magistrate’s office collapsed. Because it was a Sunday, there were no injuries. The Darjeeling Planter’s Club, yet another landmark in the city, was scarred with cracks.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling toured the quake-hit areas in and around the capital town to assess damage. He 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. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs 2

lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the earthquake and Rs 1 lakh each for those seriously injured.

Source: Indian Express

Darjeeling takes stock post earthquake

Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills took stock of the situation following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Sikkim, Darjeeling and other parts of the country on Sunday. The death toll shot up to 4 in the Darjeeling district and 49 in Sikkim. Taking stock of the situation
Saumitra Mohan, District Magistrate (DM) stated that most of the old buildings of the Hills have developed cracks, in many cases walls have also caved in, roads have sunk, while landslides have been triggered off.

There have been reports of numerous landslides on the National Highway 31A to Sikkim and National Highway 55 connecting Darjeeling Hills with the plains of Siliguri. The NH31A remained closed throught the day owing to multiple landslides.

However, the Border Road Organization (BRO) managed to open up the highway for one way traffic in the evening.

In Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, electricity was restored on Monday along with telephone and cellular phone connectivity. There were no reports of any death from the Sikkim capital Gangtok.

However, North Sikkim remained the worst effected. Death toll reached 49 in Sikkim during the filing of this copy.

Most of the Government buildings, including the Sikkim state secretariat had developed cracks.

In the Darjeeling district one Pushpa Agarwal (Female, 34) had died from debris falling on her; Bhim Tamang of Gorubathan also became a victim of the quake, along with Vinod Agarwal of Siliguri who died from head injuries; Arjun Panchkotey a clerk at the Pankhabari High School died in a landslide in Longview tea Estate in the Kurseong sub division.

There was report of an old lady dying from a cardiac attack in Darjeeling after the quake.

The Block Development Officers (BDO) kept a close tab of the situation from ground zero. Many Government offices were effected by the earthquake.

The DM’s confidential office in Darjeeling, his residence along with the old secretariat building of the Darjeeling town developed serious cracks.

The treasury building at Kalimpong has been shifted to the town hall.

Deputy magistrate Namo Sherpa had had a miraculous escape. “I was in my chamber when the earthquake occurred. I went under the table. In seconds the debris from the ceiling including bricks and wooden planks began to fall all around me. I though I would not make it however I remained unhurt under the table” stated Shepa, talking to HT.

School buildings have been the worst effected. Most of the old schools including Loreto Convent, St. Teresa’s, Mount Hermon developed major cracks in the old school building.

 “Around 125 schools in the Darjeeling sub division alone has been effected” stated Binay Dewan, president, Janmukti Secondary Teacher’s Organisation (JSTO.) All hill schools remained closed on Monday.

One of the oldest landmarks of the town, Nripendra Narayan Bengali Hindu Hall was damaged with the old building developing cracks, a wall collapsing and the main dome of the temple also being damaged.

Though the Hill towns tried to limp back to normalcy, fear and anxiety loomed large. Many shops and shopping malls downed shutters on Monday.

“After the earthquake I’m not in a mood to sell despite this being the “Dasain” (Dushera- an important festival in the Hills) marketing season” stated Tenzin, a garment shop owner.

The Darjeeling Sadar Hospital had been the epicenter of panic following the earthquake on Sunday. Soon after the earthquake, patients helped by their relatives and friends rushed down to the ground floor in a near stampede like situation.

“There was no electricity and people people were grappling with each other to rush down the five floors. There was no electricity. Some were carrying the patients on their shoulders while others carried oxygen cylinders and drips being administered to the patients. There was utter chaos” stated Tika Sharma, a resident.

Many of the patients refused to stay back and left forcefully while the remaining bedded themselves on the floor of the ground floor and the entrance. “There were 274 patients in the hospital on Sunday. The number dropped to 146 after the quake in the evening. On Monday around 128 beds remained occupied at the Darjeeling District Hospital. The hospital is complete safe, the patients should return” stated Dawa Lama, president, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Darjeeling sub divisional committee.

Lebong army cantonment area in Darjeeling developed huge cracks with local residents taking shelter in army relief camps.

Source: Hindustan Times

Sikkim-Darjeeling Earthquake: Darjeeling cut off, panic in N Bengal

The West Bengal government has asked the Army to assist civil authorities, if needed, in relief and rescue work in Darjeeling and some other North Bengal districts affected by the massive quake that hit the region on Sunday evening.

Darjeeling remained cut off from the rest of the country as landslides blocked major roads and power lines snapped.

“I have talked to the army authorities here and requested them to provide help if necessary,” Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh said.

Four deaths were reported in the state, three in Darjeeling district and one in Jalpaiguri district, Ghosh said. Of the deaths in Darjeeling district, one each occurred in Kalimpong, Kurseong and Siliguri sub-divisions, he said.

“The epicentre of the quake is on the Sikkim-Nepal border and the intensity of the quake is 6.8 on the Richter scale,” said G C Debnath, director of Alipore Meterological Centre. He said aftershocks were felt in North Bengal at 6.11 pm.

Debnath said because of inclement weather and the quake, there could be landslides at some places in North Bengal.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged people not to panic. “I have spoken to Chief Minister of Sikkim. I hope the situation will not be as bad in North Bengal,” she said.

The Chief Minister said assessment of the damage in North Bengal, particularly in the hills, was not possible before morning.

Banerjee said there have been damage in Darjeeling Hills “but hopefully not on the scale that has happened in Sikkim”.

She said efforts were on to restore power supply in the hill areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

“The Darjeeling district magistrate has already been asked to assess whether there has been any damage to any building or household in the hills,” Banerjee said, adding that necessary assistance will be provided in case of any damage.

“District Magistrates, SPs, city police commissioner and disaster management and power departments have been asked to remain alert. I am also monitoring the entire situation,” Banerjee said.

The chief minister also cautioned people to remain alert against the activities of anti-social elements. “Anti-socials always take advantage of difficult situation and exploit people. Keep your eyes open,” she said.

State Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee has left for Jalpaiguri. According to the Chief Minister, he and Gautam Deb, Minister for North Bengal Development, will jointly assess the situation.

Source: PTI

Sikkim earthquake: Two dead in Darjeeling

The Sikkim earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale on Sunday claimed two lives in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal along with 2 in Sikkim, 2 in Bihar and 5 in Nepal. With cell phone and landline services coming to a standstill in the entire Hills and adjoining areas,
communication became a next to impossible task. People spent hours trying frantically to contact their near and dear ones. The Hills were plunged into darkness with electricity being cut off.

Saumitra Mohan, District Magistrate, Darjeeling talking to HT stated " There are reports of one Pushpa Agarwal losing her life in Kalimpong with debris falling on her from a building under construction. There are reports of many areas having sunk, roads and walls having caved in and cracks in buildings. We are trying to access the situation."

Unconfirmed reports stated that one Arjun Bishwakarma had lost his life from a rock having crashed upon him in Doodhey under the Kurseong sub division. There were reports of people suffering minor injuries mostly caused by stampedes during the earthquake (trying to rush out of the buildings.) In many buildings in the town glass panes were shattered, crockery tumbled out from the kitchen shelves. People preferred to remain outdoors, the fear of aftershocks emerging more prominent that the constant rains.

"In all my life I have never witnessed such fear. I had run out of my house but could not find an empty space nearby where I would be safe"stated Pema, resident of one of high rises in town.

With unplanned urbanization and with the mushrooming of high rises in the Hills, the day's earthquake was just an indication of the destruction that could be caused in case of such calamities in near future.

Darjeeling has a long seismic history and lies in the 4th Seismic zone. Major (Retd.) KPMalla, Former Secretary of the Red Cross Society, Darjeeling having survived one of the worst earthquakes of this region, as a primary school student, reminisced that on the 14th January 1934 there was a heavy earthquake measuring around 7 on the Richter scale
"Ï was a student at the Selimbong Primary School. The school collapsed. It felt as if the ground below my feet had turned into liquid and was sinking. There was utter chaos as people saw death staring at their faces"stated Malla. The earthquake had left around 100 people dead and many injured with the large constructions like the Governor House and the Burdwan Maharaja's palace damaged.

However during that time there were no high rises, most of the houses were single storied and wooden construction with no electricity. The population was also very thin. The next major earthquake was in 1988. Though no loss of life was reported there was large-scale damage to constructions.

"Now an earthquake of around 7 is enough to wipe us all out.  There is no open space in Darjeeling town with huge constructions and narrow roads. We don't even have the infrastructure like mobile electrical machines to remove the debris after an earthquake or other safety measures to save us. Even heavy machinery cannot be brought in through the narrow mountain road"said Malla.

The last earthquake that the Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim had felt had occurred on June 3, 2011 measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale.

Fear loomed large. "There are many patients who have left the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital out of fear"stated Dr. S Bhowmik, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), Darjeeling.

Electricity was restored to different parts of the Hills at around 10.20 pm with cell phone and landline services still remaining largely elusive.

Source: Hindustan Times

18 dead in Sikkim and Darjeeling earthquake; 200 rescued, many trapped

18 people lost their lives as a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit sikkim on Sunday evening. The death toll is at 18 which includes 7 in Sikkim, 4 in West Bengal 2 in Bihar and 5 in Nepal.

The armed forces have deployed teams for relief and rescue activity, the centre is also sending emergency teams in. But heavy rains, intermittent power cut, and loss of mobile phone connectivity did hamper rescue operations in the initial hours.

At 6.10 pm on Sunday evening, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Sikkim. Mangan, 54 km from Gangtok, was the epicentre of that quake that left a trail of death and massive damages in its wake. It was not just Sikkim that was shaken, the tremors were felt in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, North East and Nepal.

The quake has cut off Sikkim. Mobile connectivity has been hit. The national highway is closed after heavy rains followed by landslides and there are reports of people being trapped. The Army has already reached out to the afftected.

The Centre has rushed in teams of the National Disaster Response Force. They have been flown in from Delhi and Kolkata till Bagdora from where they proceed by road. But the bad weather and landslides are posing huge challenges.

The quake has given a rude jolt to Sikkim, Darjeeling and many parts of northern and eastern India. Several homes and properties have been damaged but a clearer picture of the extent of damages is yet to come out.

Rescue operations underway

Rescue operations began within hours of the quake striking. Army columns in small teams have been deployed across Sikkim to provide humanitarian assistance. These columns comprise medical teams with first aid kits as well as engineers. 400 personnel from the National Disaster Relief Force have reached Bagdogra from where they will move by road.

30 columns from the 33 Cors in Siliguri are also engaged in rescue activity. Bihar is sending 160 personnel in. The BSF rescue team and the dog squad are there too. The DGP of Sikkim who was in Delhi when the disaster occured will set out for Gangtok on Monday.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel rescued 200 civilians including 22 tourists, they've taken refuge at the Pegong camp. An IAF team carrying supplies is on its way.

Bihar, Gujarat offer assistance

States like Bihar and Bengal are also sending rescue teams to Sikkim. Others too have offered assistance.

"When the earthquake happened I too felt the termor. Our departments are on the job, we are gathering information," said Bihar Chief Minis Nitish Kumar.

"On behalf of the people of Gujarat I convey my condolences. Such a situation demands cooperation from all. The Gujarat government is ready to extend support to all those who have been affected," said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Source: IBN Live

Seven dead as 6.9 magnitude quake rocks hits Sikkim and Darjeeling

Seven people were killed today after an earthquake of intensity measuring 6.9 on Richter Scale hit Sikkim and the northern and eastern India as well as Nepal, reports said.

The earthquake claimed one life at Singtham in East Sikkim district, while another died just outside Singtham, state chief secretary Karma Gyatso said. 33 others received minor injuries in Sikkim. A man in Bhagalpur district died in a stampede after the quake shook parts of Bihar. While, five people in Nepal are reported to be dead.

The epicentre of the quake was located at Latitude 27.7 degree North and Longitude 88.2 degree East, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Several buildings developed major cracks in Sikkim, state chief secretary Karma Gyatso said.

Disaster Management personnel were deployed in affected areas, he added.

Immediately after getting the report, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered him all necessary help.

With the quake felt in Assam, parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Prime Minister directed the Cabinet Secretary to call an emergency meeting of the disaster management authority.

The quake which was felt for some seconds around 6.10 pm triggered panic among the people who were enjoying their Sunday evening.

There was however no immediate report on any casualty or damage to property.

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.

Source: Hindustan Times