6.9-Magnitude Earthquake Kills 50 In India, Nepal, Tibet
Rescue Operation In Sikkim
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous region of Himalaya, causing 50 people to die in northeast India, Nepal and Tibet. The rescue workers were still trying on Monday to clear roads that had been blocked by mudslides, attempting to reach remote villages cut off after the quake.
Hundreds of paramilitary and police troops worked through the night to rescue many people trapped under the rubble of the houses that collapsed. 25 people died in the Indian state of Sikkim, where the earthquake was centered.
According to paramilitary, 18 bodies were pulled out and seven were located in the capital of this Indian province, while at least 50 people were hospitalized, some of them with serious injuries.
11 people were killed in the neighboring state of Bihar and in the state of West Bengal. Seven died in Nepal and, according to Chinese agency Xinhua, seven died in Tibet as well. Most of the deaths occurred as a result of houses collapsing on the people.
The rescue operation was made harder by the heavy rain, specific in these parts this time of year, and by the mudslides. 400 paramilitary troops were blocked in an airport as the highway that leads to Sikim was blocked by the mudslide.
The authorities in Nepal announced that seven people died and 70 were badly injured. Two people were killed by a brick wall toppled outside the British embassy in the capital of the country, Katmandu. The parliament of Nepal was debating the budget of the country at the moment when the quake happened. The members of the Parliament evacuated the building and then resumed their session 15 minutes later.
The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the National Disaster Management Authority for an emergency meeting to help the states in need of relief. The quake was felt in the capital of India, and had at least two aftershocks. Large parts of the regions affected plunged into darkness as the power grids went down. The relief agencies are working to restore power.
