SIKKIM EARTHQUAKE

Rain and landslides are blocking rescue efforts of hundreds of workers searching for survivors of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Sikkim-Nepal border at 6.10pm on Sunday, killing at least 26 people, police and media said on Monday. According to reports from Union home ministry, there are 16 landslides in a stretch of 10 km in Sikkim. 712 personnel of ITBP are already engaged in rescue and relief operations in the state.

The Army has deployed a total of 72 columns including infantry troops and combat engineers, four Dhruv and five Cheetah helicopters. According to reports coming in the helicopters will make aerial survey of remote areas to find survivors.

The home ministry has put the death toll due to the devastating earthquake at 14 as of now. This includes seven deaths in Sikkim, two in Bihar and five in West Bengal. The toll is likely to rise as rescue teams have not been able to reach remote areas.

Outside India, at least six people have died in neighbouring Nepal, while seven have been reported dead in Tibet region.  More than 400 rescue workers trying to reach Sikkim's capital Gangtok have been cut off by landslides and cracks in the roads, officials at a police control room in Sikkim said.

Many towns in Sikkim are experiencing power cuts, while thousands are being sheltered by the government.  "People are still panicky," Pawan Thapa, a resident of Gangtok, said on phone. "We spent the whole night outside our homes." He added that shops, businesses and offices were closed in Gangtok and neighbouring areas.

The quake was felt all the way to Delhi as well as in Bangladesh, shaking buildings. At least 10 people were injured and some buildings suffered minor damage. Several earthquakes have hit north and east India this year, but none have caused major damage or injuries.

-  The Times of India