NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU, Apr 26:
A strong earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, rocked Nepal and various states of India this afternoon as the death toll in yesterday’s temblor mounted to 2,200 in Nepal and over 50 in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Rescuers dug with their bare hands and bodies piled up in Nepal today after an earthquake devastated the heavily crowded Kathmandu Valley, killing more than 2,200 people, and triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest.
A powerful aftershock between Kathmandu and Everest unleashed more avalanches in the Himalayas. In the capital Kathmandu, hospital workers stretchered patients out onto the street to treat them as it was too dangerous to keep them indoors.”Another one, we have an aftershock right now.” said Indian climber Arjun Vajpai over the phone from Makalu base camp near Everest. “Avalanche!” he shouted. Screams and the roar of crashing snow could be heard over the line as he spoke.
The tremor, measured at 6.7, was the most powerful since yesterday’s 7.9 quake – itself the strongest since Nepal’s worst earthquake disaster of 1934 that killed 8,500 people. The aftershock rocked buildings in the Indian capital New Delhi and halted the city metro.”There is no way one can forecast the intensity of aftershocks so people need to be alert for the next few days,” said LS Rathore, chief of India’s state-run weather office.
In Everest’s worst disaster, the bodies of 17 climbers were recovered from the mountain today after being caught in avalanches. A plane carrying the first 15 injured climbers landed in Kathmandu at around noon local time.”There is a lot of confusion on the mountain. The toll will rise,” said Gelu Sherpa, one of the walking wounded among the first 15 injured climbers flown to Kathmandu. “Tents have been blown away,” said Sherpa, his head in bandages.
Tremors were today felt in Delhi and the National Capital region and several parts of North India after another strong earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richters scale, hit Nepal. The epicentre of the quake was Kodari, about 110 kms from Kathmandu . Rescue operations have been stopped after quake which is also being described as an ‘aftershock’.
As a precautionary measure, metro train services were halted both in New Delhi and Kolkata. Initial report said one person died in Bharatpur in Rajasthan along with eight others injured in a wall collapse. They have been rushed to a local hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high level meeting of officials this afternoon to review the situation in the aftermath of fresh temblor that shook almost the entire Northern India including NCR of Delhi this afternoon. while the Central Government has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the kith and kin of the deceased.
In India yesterday, more than 35 people had died in Bihar, 12 in Uttar Pradesh and three in West Bengal. Exact loss of human lives and property in affected areas is yet to be calculated. Two more were killed — one each at Ambedkar Nagar and Pratapgarh districts during fresh quake today taking the toll to 14 so far in Uttar Pradesh.
The Central Government is maintaining a close rapport with affected states and the Nepal Government officials in order to augment supplies. Aftershocks of the earthquake in Nepal are likely to continue for some more days, according to Mr L S Rathore, Director General of the India Meteorology Department (IMD). More than two and a half dozen aftershocks of magnitude four and above have been observed. These kinds of aftershocks are likely to continue for a while, so people should take precautions, he said.
The IMD said the epicenter of the fresh tremors this afternoon also lay in Nepal. Fresh tremors were felt in Delhi and other parts of northern India at around 12.45 p.m. The tremors were felt in Delhi, Gurgaon in Haryana, Noida and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, Kolkata and many other places. The tremors lasted for nearly two minutes in the Indian capital.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked State Governments in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for arranging buses for rescuing people from quake-hit regions in Nepal even as three more NDRF teams are being sent to the neighbouring country for rescue operations.
Mr Rajnath Singh spoke over telephone to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, asking them to mobilise buses and also ambulances for rescuing people stranded in Nepal.
Addressing reporters, NDRF Director General O P Singh said the force has already sent seven teams to Nepal and it’s first priority is to evacuate and rescue people buried under debris. Mr OP Singh said four NDRF teams were operational in Bihar and they have rescued around 100 people last night. He added that more teams will be sent to Bihar if required. India has also sent four aircraft with NDRF teams for rescue and relief operations.
Survivors flown down from Everest included three from China, Japan, and South Korea. Several of the injured had bandages on their heads, one spotted with blood and all were able to walk. Tourism ministry officials estimated that at least 1,000 climbers, including about 400 foreigners, had been at base camp or on the ascent to the peak when the earthquake struck.
The Saturday avalanche buried part of base camp and swept away tents as climbers gathered near the main route to the summit at the beginning of the climbing season in the deadliest incident on the mountain.
Helicopters rescued seriously injured climbers in the morning and later brought down a few from Camp 1 on Sunday, Romanian climber Alex Gavan, who was at base camp, posted on his Twitter account. “All badly injured heli evacuated,” Gavan said. “Caring for those needing. want sleep.”
In another tweet, Gavan said that climber Willie Benegas had be helicoptered up to camp 1 to bring ropes, ice screws and snow pickets to climbers trapped there.
US climber John Reiter said dozens of people had suffered critical injuries, many of them with head injuries. “It’s been a rough 18 hours,” he told CNN. One of those killed was Dan Fredinburg, a Google engineer based in California. He suffered head injuries when the avalanche hit, according to a statement from the mountaineering company that had taken him to base camp.Steve Moffat, a mountain guide and operations coordinator for New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants, said two Nepali staff had been killed.
US based Madison Mountaineering said its base camp doctor, Marisa Eve Girawong, died in the aftermath of the avalanche.April is one of the most popular times to scale the 8,850-metre (29,035 foot) peak before rain and clouds cloak it at the end of May. Almost exactly a year ago, an avalanche killed 16 Nepali guides in what had been the single deadliest day on the mountain.
Within four hours of the earthquake, one C-130J Hercules, a heavy lift aircraft of Indian Air Force with 39 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel and 3.5 tones of load was the first aircraft to land in Kathmandu, yesterday. Official sources said it was followed by two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, also heavy lift aircraft, one carrying 96 NDRF personnel with 15 tonnes of load, another C-17 aircraft carrying Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) with 24 officers and Paramedics on board. It was also followed by an IL-76 aircraft from Bathinda having 160 NDRF personnel, 5 sniffer dogs and 28 tonnes of load. A total of 546 personnel have been rescued so far in the day and night long operations from the earthquake hit Nepal.
Today, 10 fixed wing transport aircraft of the IAF from various parts of India carrying water, Engineering Task Force, Field Hospitals, 8000 thousand blankets, 500 tents, 14 tones of food (noodles), 34 Paramedics, 100 stretches, 1 tonne of medicine, 6 tonnes of prepared food and 3 more field hospitals and NDRF team have been routed. In addition, 6 Medium Lift Helicopters (MLH) are also tasked to carry out casualty evacuation and rescue & relief measures,officials said.
Fresh tremors with an intensity of 6.5 on the Richter scale jolted Bihar today after yesterday’s devastating earthquake. The tremors took place at 1241 hrs and lasted for nearly a minute, said sources, adding no immediate loss of life or property was reported. Last night, people experienced aftershocks of the earthquake at around 2315 hrs in Patna and across the State. The India Meteorology Department (IMD), Patna, had yesterday cautioned people to be vigilant for the next 48 hours, during which aftershocks were likely to strike.
In the next 24 hours too, the aftershocks can strike again, but with much less intensity, IMD predicted. This morning as the fresh tremors were felt, people ran out of their homes to the roads and patiently waited till the tremors stopped, said sources. The death toll in the earthquake in Bihar has mounted to 48 with 156 persons injured, according to Disaster Management department (DMD). More than 56 houses or dwelling units have been damaged or destroyed in the earthquake, the DMD added. Deaths have been reported from East Champaran (8), Sitamarhi and Darbhanga (6) each, Lakhisarai, Siwan and Araria (3) each, Shivhar, Saran, Saharsa, Supaul and Madhubani (2) each, West Champaran, Katihar and Gaya (1) each as per DMD.
The people last night stayed in the open spaces near their houses and carried adequate foodstuff and water with them, besides pillows and blankets for children and aged.
A report from Hyderabad said about 380 Telugu people are reported to be stranded in Nepal. As many as 47 persons ( 28 from Hyderabad and 19 from Vijayawada) had been brought in 3 IAF flights to New Delhi last night after rescuing 400 Indians from Nepal.
The State Government had set up a control room at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has instructed Minister of State Y.S Chowdary and AP Special Representative in Delhi K Ramamohan Rao to ensure that Telugu people are put on flights immediately, based on their destination.
A total of 311 people from Tamil Nadu were stranded in the quake-hit Nepal and the State Government has taken all steps to ensure that they returned home safely. All the stranded people were safe and steps were taken for their safe return. Allaying the fears of the relatives and family members of those stranded, the Government said it had been rendering all assistance to ensure their safe return.
An Emergency Control Centre was opened in the State and a control room was also opened at the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi. The Control rooms in all the District Collectorates were also activated and details of people stranded, their names, their place of stay in Nepal and their telephone numbers were asked to be collected from their family members. The strong tremors which struck Uttar Pradesh this afternoon forced people to stay in parks and in other open places owing to the strong jolts(after shocks) rattling the earth at different intervals. Since yesterday atleast 5 tremors have been experienced by the natives of Uttar Pradesh.
Two more were killed — one each at Ambedkar Nagar and Pratapgarh districts during fresh quake today taking the toll to 14 so far in the State. The State Government has announced to close school, colleges and various other educational institutes of the State capital and other districts for two days from tomorrow in the view of earthquake. UP Governor Ram Naik, who was attending a function in Kushinagar on the Indo-Nepal border at the time of the tremor today, rushed back to Lucknow. The patients of Artificial Limb Center shifted the medicated beds on the roads and were seen getting the treatment by doctors on the road, in busy Daliganj area of the state capital Lucknow.
On the other hand, special prayers a special ‘deepdan’ and ‘aarti’ took place at the Dashashwamedh Ghat near Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi for the victims of the Nepal earthquake. The ‘aarti’ took place as a special ode for peace of the departed souls by the priests of Vishwanath Temple, where the priests offered prayers to ‘Maa Ganga’ and ‘Baba Vishwanath’, last night.
The India Meteorology Department today predicted widespread rains over Nepal and some parts of West Bengal, and other adjoining regions during the next couple of days after an after-shock shook Nepal and many parts of India earlier in the day. The activity is most likely to become widespread on April 27 and 28 with possibility of isolated heavy thunderstorm activity, particularly over eastern part of Nepal. Similar weather is also predicted for Kathmandu.
It has been suggested that precaution be taken as there was possibility of landslides in vulnerable sites. Aftershocks of earthquake in Nepal were experienced across Uttarakhand this afternoon from the Pithoragarh district on Nepal border till Haridwar. However, according to State Emergency Operation Centre, there was no loss of life or property reported from anywhere.
The aftershocks experienced around 1240 hrs, were of 3.1 intensity on Richter scale and the epicentre was about 30 km away from Kathmandu in Nepal, according to the district EOC official in Pithoragarh, R S Rana . According to experts, there was no need to panic as after the earthquake of yesterday’s intensity, the aftershocks were an expected phenomenon and were likely to decrease in intensity over next 48 hours .
Fresh tremors were today felt in several parts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh following a 6.7-magnitude aftershock that struck Nepal and parts of India, a day after a massive earthquake devastated the region. Officials said that there was no need for panic in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. However, it cautioned cautioned that people in Sagar and Rewa divisions must avoid living in mud houses for some time as it collapses fast.
As many as 65 people from Assam are yet to be traced in Nepal, while 19 others have already returned to India safely and another six have been confirmed to be safe. Terror of the quake continued to reverberate across the state with another tremor rocking Assam this afternoon.
No damage of life or property was reported in the moderate intensity quake, tremors of which were felt at 1235 hrs. As per reports compiled from family sources of people present in Nepal when the devastating earthquake struck yesterday, 90 people from the state were in the Himalayan nation, Assam State Disaster Management authorities said today. Nineteen people from Assam have been brought back to New Delhi last night and they will return home shortly. Another six have established contact with us, including a family from Morigaon district, and they will be returning by tomorrow, Government sources said.
The whereabouts of the rest are not known exactly now, but we refrain from terming them missing. We hope that they are safe and due to the extraordinary circumstances arising in Nepal after the earthquake, they may have been unable to contact family or authorities yet, the sources added. Fresh tremors rocked Kolkata and different parts of West Bengal less than 24 hours after yesterday’s earthquake that had its origin in Nepal. Panicked people came out of their homes, shopping malls were evacuated and the city’s metro services were halted after the tremor that lasted few seconds. Regional seismological office said the quake that took place at 1239 hrs jolted Kolkata, its adjoining areas and North Bengal’s Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. It was also the result of another tremor in Nepal which witnessed an unprecedented devastation and loss of lives only yesterday.
Police said no casualties had been reported so far. Yesterday, three people were killed and more than 50 injured across the State in incidents of house collapse while cracks appeared on many buildings, bridges and roads.
A Metro railway spokesperson said trains were halted at 1242 hrs as a precautionary measure. “We will carry out all safety checks before resuming the services, hopefully soon,” he said. Tremors were also experienced in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Bankura and East Midnapur districts of the State, reports added. (UNI)
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