About: M 6.8 Shallow Very Strong Earthquake In Nepal/ India Border (Sikkim Earthquake)
UPDATE 10/30/2011
M 3.5 weak shallow earthquake was felt, 11.1 kms WNW of Samdong (East Sikkim), India. [29 oct 2011 UTC 00:43]
Relief web: Nepal - Earthquake Affected Areas (as of 18 - 20 September 2011)..recent updated
Relief web: Nepal - Earthquake Affected Areas (as of 18 - 20 September 2011)..recent updated
UPDATE 10/18/2011
It has been a month since the devastating Sikkim earthquake and the relief and rehabilitation work is still on.
NASA have manage to collect a satellite image of the earthquake-affected area around Sikkim in northern India, recently affected by the M-6.8 earthquake. The picture below is one of those (source “The Landslide Blog”)
Click here for 'A first look at NASA satellite imagery of the landslides from the Sikkim earthquake' by "The landslide Blog"
Click For A detailed report on the earthquake (M 6.8) of 18th September, 2011 in Sikkim-Nepal border region
NEPAL
With rains lashing the eastern region since Sunday, the local populace has found itself in deep trouble.
In the hilly districts of Panchthar, Taplejung, Ilam, Terhathum and Sankhuwasabha districts, the rains have added to the miseries of thousands of families, who have been struggling to rebuild lives shattered in last Sunday’s magnitude-6.8 temblor. In Terhathum district, hundreds of temblor-wreaked families have been staying in sheds or in tents. Spending their days and nights in rain-drenched cowsheds, many quake victims have fallen ill. The rain havoc has brought work to a halt at government offices and caused the closure of schools.
Police have estimated that Sunday’s earthquake destroyed property worth over Rs 85 million in Solukhumbu district alone. The District Police Office data revealed that property to the tune of Rs 60 million was damaged when houses crumbled.
A chopper bringing relief materials to earthquake victims in the far-flung VDCs of the district returned from Dhunsha today due to poor visibility.
A team from the Home Ministry had flown to provide relief to quake victims in Olanchungola and its adjoining areas. Some Dhunsha locals accused the team of providing relief only to those whose houses were completely destroyed.
More than 10 days after the 6.8 earthquake rocked Nepal, people in the country continue to talk the temblor, have cold feet and suffer from frequent nightmares.
Physical damages may have been fairly limited, but judging the psychological impact of the tremor is hard, experts say. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a significant number of people around the country haven’t completely gotten over the quake.
INDIA
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced Rs. 1000 crore as relief funds for quake-hit Sikkim. The PM also said accommodation will be provided to those rendered homeless.
The Helping Hands Sikkim (HHS), an umbrella organization formed for providing earthquake relief has been working actively in the state by sending relief materials to the earthquake affected areas across state. The organization is sending relief materials every day to the affected with the help of choppers.
The HHS consists of 35 Non Government Organizations which includes State, National and International. Speaking to media coordinator Ningku Lachungpa informed that the organization have send about 20 adventures member team to North Sikkim for supporting the rescue operation, but have failed reach some affected areas due to bad weather.
90% of the houses in Rinchenpong Constituency have been damaged by the 18/9 devastating earthquake out of which 40-50% is in such condition where no residence can shelter. Almost all the villages in Rinchenpong are facing water crisis due to earthquake, considering which Minister Thakarpa even requested Rural Management and Developing Department (RMDD) to restore work as early as possible to mitigate the water crisis.
sources ekantipur, The Himalayan times, isikkim
Updated :2011/09/27 UTC 11:49 ( 6:35pm Nepal)
The inhabitants of Olangchungkhola and Ghunsa ( epicenter area, Nepal) haven't received any relief yet.
Actual destruction report from that area is not yet received ( till Tuesday morning). The Nepal government has managed the relief distribution from Lelep for that very two areas. Lelep is in one day walking distance from Olangchungkhola and Ghunsa one and half day. Both places are remote areas of Nepal. The main reason that people aren't coming to grant relief amount may be due to the erosion. Due to which the roads are blocked and even bridges are collapsed. Nepal Police and rescue teams are unable to go to these areas.
10 teams of NDRF consisting of 419 personnel along with necessary search and rescue equipment are currently deployed in Sikkim. Teams stationed at Lachung and Chungthang area of Sikkim are carrying out rescue and relief operations. Team at Gangtok and Chungthang recovered one dead body each yesterday.
- A medical team comprising 19 doctors (Surgeon – 4, Orthopedician – 6, Anaesthesian – 5, Neuro-surgeon – 2, and medicine – 2) deployed by the Ministry of Health, Government of India continues to provide medical help.( 03 doctors continue work in Chungthang, 06 doctors at Distt. Hospital,Mangan and 10 doctors at STNM hospital, Gangtok).
- The Sikkim Government has opened 85 relief camps so far. 2700 and 550 people have been provided shelter in two Army camps and ITBP (Pegong) respectively.
- A 5 psycho-social care experts from NIMHANS are en route to Sikkim. The team is likely to reach Siliguri Tuesday.
- Approx. 11,000 food packets have been air-dropped northern part of North Sikkim District. A total of 1,500 food packets were airdropped on 25-9-2011.The airdropping of food packets today was held up due to inclement weather.
- A total of 22 sorties were carried out by helicopters on 25-9-2011.
- The following roads have also been opened for traffic: Sevok-Gangtok, Singtam-Rangrang, Rangpo-Rhenock, Rhenock-Kupup-Nathula, Indra Bypass, Chungthang-Lachung-Yumthang-Yumesamdong (Road opened upto 5 Km from Chungthang), Namasa- Dombang, Lachung-Katao-Patala (Road opened upto 18 Km from Lachung)
- Due to heavy continuous rains, landslides occurred in Dzongu. No casualties has been reported..
- Landlines and Microwave links are normalizing. The present status of mobile tower/BTS which are functional viz-a-viz the total no. is given as follows : Vodafone (All fault restored), Reliance (52/54), Idea (All fault restored), Aircel (54/55), Airtel (67/69), BSNL (106/122)
- A total of Rs. 14.21 crore has been disbursed as relief by the State Government till date.
source haalkhabar
UTC 14:59 ( 08:44 Nepal)
Relief distribution to Sunday’s earthquake victims in the eastern hilly districts is going on at a snail’s pace.
In many districts, officials are yet to assess the damage caused by the tremor, while many families rendered homeless by the quake are left in the lurch.
Teams mobilised to distribute relief among earthquake-hit families in Taplejung, Nepal have run out of budget. “Even if the relief team was to spend Rs 1,000 per family hit by the disaster, we will still have insufficient budget,” said relief team member. The Natural Disaster Relief and Rescue Committee (NDRRC) had decided to spend Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per VDC.
Nepal Red Cross has also run out of relief materials and has asked for additional supply.
Meanwhile, budget crunch has affected the relief programme in Terhathum district as well.
Regular classes in more than 100 schools have come to a complete halt after Sunday’s earthquake damaged 152 school buildings in Panchthar. An employee at the District Education Office (DEO) said the primary reason behind the damage of the buildings was the use of substandard construction materials. DEO Chief Lok Bahadur Lopchan admitted that lack of monitoring led to the construction of substandard school buildings. The damage assessment report suggests that the quake damaged most of the government-funded buildings.
Many earthquake victims of Ilam have refuesed to accept monetary relief provided by the District Administration Office. They said the amount is insufficient. CDO Janakraj Regmi said they have a limited budget to spend on relief and in many cases earthquake victims have turned down assistance. He also argued that lack of actual figures on the damage and the victims has also affected the relief distribution programme. The victims, however, expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the government did not take prompt action to address their plight. It is estimated that nearly 1,000 people were rendered homeless by the earthquake.
(sources ekantipur, The himalayan times )
UTC 14:47 ( 08:31 Nepal)
The earthquake ripped apart the landscape in the stretch between Gangtok and Chungthang, causing cracks, landslides and much destruction. Around 80 per cent of the houses at Chungthang have suffered damages with all sorts of cracks. Power has been restored in Gangtok and officials say other towns will have full power supply within the next few days. National Highway 55, which connects Bagdogra to Darjeeling and National Highway 31, that links Gangtok to Bagdogra, have been repaired. Rescue workers were able to clear the landslides both from Bagdogra to Gangtok and Gangtok to Mangan by Tuesday evening. In the process, though, two Army people were killed. Over 15,000 houses collapsed.
2011/09/23 UTC 09:19 ( 03:04 p.m Nepal)
Soldiers in India's northeast have reached the last villages cut off by landslides
Another aftershocks of Magnitude of 3.9 just 3.5 kms N of Sakyong (North Sikkim, Sikkim), India was felt at 16:44( UTC)>>There were no reports of damage from the aftershock
However, no more bodies had been recovered since Thursday. The death toll stood at 106 __ 93 in India, six in Nepal and seven in Tibet.
2011/09/22 UTC 07:51 ( 01:36Nepal) Rescuers on Thursday finally reached villages in India's remote northeast that were cut off by a powerful earthquake.After the magnitude-6.9 quake struck Sunday evening, rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rain and mudslides that blocked roads leading to villages in the remote, mountainous region.
As the weather improved Thursday, with no rain, helicopters ferried relief workers to the inaccessible areas, said R. Sahu, an Indian air force spokesman.
2011/09/22 UTC 06:35 ( 12:20Nepal)
BEIJING (Xinhua) -- Seven people have died and 136 others have been injured in Tibet after the region was hit Sunday evening by a strong earthquake centered in the state of Sikkim in northern India, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Wednesday.
The quake slightly damaged about 13,000 houses, with another 4,500 destroyed or severely damaged.
The ministry has sent 5,000 tents, 20,000 cotton quilts and 20,000 articles of clothing to quake-hit areas to aid in disaster relief efforts. The ministry has also sent work teams to the region to direct disaster relief operations.
2011/09/22 UTC 06:16 ( 12:01pm Nepal)
5 more dead bodies are found in Mangan area( near epicenter).The death toll now becomes 104
UTC 17:31 ( 11:16 Nepal)
Soldiers in northeastern India cleared a path Wednesday to a hydroelectric project where 17 people were confirmed killed by landslides in a powerful Himalayan earthquake, bringing the overall toll in the disaster to 99.A press statement from Teesta Urja Co., which is building the plant, said 10 workers were killed when their vehicles were buried during the quake by boulders dislodged from a hillside. Another seven were killed in a separate landslide.
Sikkim's Chief Minister told reporters Wednesday that according to initial estimates the earthquake had caused losses and damage worth one trillion rupees ($22 billion).
Nearly 60 tourists, stranded in the popular mountain resort of Lachung, clambered onto army helicopters Wednesday and were ferried to the nearest town of Mangan.Lachung is around 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Gangtok, the Sikkim state capital.
According to a report from the Bhutan Department of Disaster Management, the earthquake has caused 1 death, injured 16, and damaged about 4,000 houses
From NIRAPAD in Bangladesh, roofs have collapsed, a number of Katcha houses have been destroyed, 1 person has been injured, and numerous walls have collapsed in the Panchagarh and Thakugaorn districts.
2011/09/21 UTC 04:12 ( 09:57 Nepal)
By late Tuesday a few villagers with badly injured relatives had begun to arrive at Gangtok's main hospital.
2011/09/21 UTC 03:54 ( 09:39 Nepal)
OFFICIAL REPORT
Total deaths-81
India-68( around 50 in sikkim only)
Nepal-7 (earlier report was 12+ from media)
Tibet(China)-6
Due to bad weather, blocked roads( erosion), rescue team still cannot operate efficiently, so the death toll can be increased there.
UTC 17:51 ( 11:11pm Nepal) Landslides, rain and fog hampered relief efforts, with many of the region's high mountain passes being blocked. But army helicopters took advantage of a break in the clouds to fly a small group of rescuers into Mangan, a small town ringed by snow-capped mountains near the epicenter. Numbers of deaths is reported less from Nepal, though the epicenter location is in Taplejung, Nepal, as compared to that of India because of less population density around the epicenter area in Nepal. If the earthquake would hit 40-50 North from the location now, the number of deaths would be in peak from Nepal too. Beside this mostly houses in that area are small.But with 600,000 residents, Sikkhim is the most sparsely populated state and borders Bhutan, Tibet in China and Nepal.
UTC 17:26 ( 11:11pm Nepal)
Death toll reached minimum 92( expected more)
70+ India
10+ Nepal (+ 12 is reported via media)
7 China( China's official Xinhua news agency reported)
Still the rescue operation is going around epicenter area( however exact reports aren't yet flashed, may be problem with communication)
UTC 15:33 ( 09:19 pm Nepal) Rescue teams backed by army sappers using explosives tried to force their way Tuesday to the remote epicentre of a powerful Himalayan earthquake.Convoys of vehicles carrying rescue workers, medical teams and emergency supplies left the Sikkim capital Gangtok at daybreak Tuesday.One army official told AFP it could take up to 48 hours to clear the entire stretch of road to the quake epicentre.
More than 5,000 army troops were mobilised across the state to help clear roads and assist with the relief operation.
The Press Trust of India said 26 tourists, including 15 trekkers, had been rescued and taken to army encampments for their own safety.There was some relief as power, cut off by the quake, was restored, but landline and mobile communications remained erratic, especially in the worst-affected areas.
UTC 05:21 ( 11:06 Nepal)
Currently the death toll remains at 74( overall)
Currently, rough estimates of damaged buildings are around 100,000 from officials.
Over 5000 troops are on the ground but numerous landslides and also road collapses and mudslides due to the torrential rain has made rescue very difficult.
Rescuers are desperately trying to reach Mangan. A town right at the epicenter where the worst is feared. The population in 2001 of the town was around 1250.
UTC 04:30 ( 10:16 Nepal)
Damaged reports from Nepal(excluding deaths)
Jhapa: More than 20 injured and more than 200 houses damaged.
Illam: more than 600 houses damaged in Illam and Panchthar. Preliminary reports shows that more than 300 houses in Illam are totally collapsed.
Taplejung: 10 injured and 136 houses damaged. Ghunsa, where the earthquake was strongly felt(tourist area) electricity and telephone lines are still disturbed. Beside this continuous rainfall and erosion from the very time of earthquake has caused much problem in that area. Difficulties is being faced to collect detail news and operate rescue operations.
UTC 03:56 ( 9:42 Nepal)Officials said the damage in eastern districts of Nepal, which are closer to epicenter, could be higher than that has been reported initially. The Taplejung District Natural Disaster Relief Committe said the earthquake destroyed 136 houses and injured 10 people in the district alone.More than 50 schools in Taplejung district damaged in the Quake. Landslide triggered by the quake blocked the trail leading to the Kanchanjunga Base Camp.
In Panchthar district, 126 families were displaced in the quake. Around 250 houses were destroyed. The displaced are taking shelter in houses of their relatives and neighbours and in school buildings.
likewise Police confirmed 68 people were injured and 22 houses were damaged in the Valley in the Earthquake on Sunday.
2011/9/20 UTC 03:42 ( 9:28 Nepal)While there are reports of the toll mounting to 39 in Sikkim on Monday evening, the number of quake related deaths in Nepal climbed to 11 from the earlier six( according to 'The Kathmandu Post'). Five more deaths were reported from Taplejung(1), the district closest to epicenter, Sankhuwasabha(1), Sunsari(2), Bara(1) and Jhapa(1).
The Home Ministry, however, put the death toll at Six till Monday evening.
UTC 17:50 ( 11:35 p.m. Nepal)Landslip has occurred in Taplejung in the aftermath of the quake.
Reports also say government's rescue efforts has been affected as some 40 police stations in eight eastern Nepal districts have been partially destroyed. Electricity and phone services also remain halted in many districts in the region.
The Disaster Management Division has said some 1,500 people have been injured and seven have died so far across the country
UTC 17:50 ( 11:35 p.m. Nepal)
The Kathmandu-based British Embassy on Monday said it "deeply regrets" the deaths of three Nepali citizens and injuries to others after the compound perimeter wall of the embassy at Lainchaur collapsed in the aftermath of the 6.8 Richter earthquake.
According to a press release issued by the British Embassy today, the British Ambassador offered his condolences to the local community on Sunday evening and met with relatives of the victims on Monday morning.
The Embassy will continue to do everything possible to help the local community and the Government of Nepal, the release added.
Sajan Shrestha, 36, who is originally from Gorkha, and his daughter Anisha Shrestha, 8, died after their car was smashed by the debris of the concrete wall that collapsed after the quake. Another victim has been identified as Bir Bahadur Majhi, 19, who died after he got trapped under the weight of the compound wall while passing along on his motorbike.
All three died while undergoing treatment at Manmohan Memorial Hospital.
UTC 17:45 ( 11:30 p.m. Nepal)
Kathmandu, Nepal: “There is scant preparedness for a major quake,” says Suraj Shrestha, a civil engineer associated with National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal (NSET), a nongovernmental organization that seeks to build earthquake-safe communities in Nepal by 2020.
Nepal was fortunate because the epicenter was located far enough from major Nepalese cities to prevent more serious damage, Mr. Shrestha says.
The last time a major quake hit Nepal was in 1988. The magnitude-6.5 quake that hit the country then killed 721 people. Before that, the biggest recorded quake to strike the region was a magnitude-8.3 in 1934 that killed some 8,519 people
Nepal introduced quake-resistant building code for the first time in 2003. But the code covers only a handful of cities, including the capital, Kathmandu
According to an estimate by the NSET, some 80 percent of the buildings in the country are not earthquake resistant
UTC 17:10 ( 10:55 p.m. Nepal)
भूकम्पबाट २२ जिल्ला प्रभावित, मृतक परिवारलाई तत्काल राहत २५ हजार
भूकम्पबाट भएको जनधनको क्षति न्यून गरी पीडितको उद्धार तथा राहतलाई प्रभावकारीरुपमा अगाडि बढाउन घटनाको सूचना प्राप्त हुनासाथ राष्ट्रिय आपत्कालीन कार्यसञ्चालन केन्द्रमा गृह मन्त्रालयका सहसचिवको नेतृत्वमा गृहअन्तर्गतका सुरक्षा निकायका प्रतिनिधिसम्मिलित कमान्डपोस्ट खडा गरी उद्धार तथा राहतको समन्वय भइरहेको मन्त्रालयले जनाएको छ।
उद्धार तथा राहतलाई थप प्रभावकारी बनाउन र पीडितलाई यथोचित राहत उपलब्ध गराउन सरकारले आवश्यक कार्य गरिरहेको जनाइएको छ ।
प्रधानमन्त्रीको समेत कार्यभार सम्हाल्नुभएका उपप्रधानमन्त्री विजयकुमार गच्छदारको अध्यक्षतामा बसेको केन्द्रीय दैवी प्रकोप उद्धार समितिको बैठकले भूकम्पमा परी मृत्यु भएका व्यक्तिको परिवारलाई तत्कालीन राहतस्वरुप प्रतिमृतक परिवार रु२५ हजारका दरले घरमै राहत रकम उपलब्ध गराउन सबै जिल्ला दैवी प्रकोप उद्धार समितिलाई निर्देशन दिएको छ।
UTC 16:23 ( 10:08 Nepal)
GANGTOK, India: Heavy rains slowed the relief effort and made conditions miserable for many homeless villagers as they prepared to spend the night outside.
Three emergency workers were killed in the frantic rescue effort, Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh said. More than 6,000 army and paramilitary troops were working to clear concrete slabs, bricks and mud to rescue scores of people trapped under houses that collapsed when the 6.9-magnitude quake struck the Himalayan region Sunday evening.
Nine helicopters dropped food to villages, airlifted a medical team, evacuated the injured and conducted damage assessments, Singh said. Heavy construction equipment was used to clear some of the blocked roads, he said.
UTC 15:29 ( 09:14 Nepal)
The reports of 39 deaths in Sikkim have come to fruition (North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the course of Teesta river). It continues to be extremely difficult to move around due to mudslides, landslides, road outages, and torrential rain.
UTC 15:23 ( 09:08 Nepal)
The Disaster Management Division, Nepal said some 1,500 people were injured
The hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley provided treatment for about 200 people injured in the earthquake on Sunday even as they were not expecting such a disaster.
Although the Bir Hospital, Teaching Hospital, Patan and Bhaktapur hospitals were not well prepared, they treated the patients in the emergency and by keeping extra beds in the floor.
The Kathmandu District Administration Office provided Rs. 25,000 to each of the victims of the Sunday’s quake, today.
UTC 13:03 ( 06:48 Nepal)
UTC 12:53 ( 06:38 Nepal)Over 5000 troops and 9 choppers have been sent by India, showing the extent of damage. Due to the mountainous nature of Sikkim and the area, it could be days before the death toll stabilises. At present, the death toll stands at between 52 and 57.
Sikkim accounts for 23 deaths alone (most casualties occurred in the North district and the villages along the Teesta River. 6 people have died in North Bengal. In Bihar, 7 people have died. In Darbhanga – 4 deaths, and 1 death from each of Nawada, Nalanda and Bhagalpur districts.
7( news of +2 more is flashed, but unofficial) deaths have also occurred in Nepal (Three people were killed at Lainchaur in Kathmandu, two in Sunsari district, and one each in Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha districts in eastern Nepal) and 7 deaths, 22 injuries occurred in Tibet, China.
Reports of 39 deaths from Sikkim have also been reported but will have to be verified.
Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling announced compensation of Rs 500000 for the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.
Many buildings in and around Gangtok have collapsed and around 85 per cent of structures and houses have developed cracks due to the quake that hit Sikkim and other areas last evening, Indian sources report.
UTC 12:38 UTC ( 06:23 Nepal) 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. The helicopters will make aerial survey of remote areas to find survivors.
In Gangtok, power was restored this morning. Residents had spent the night outside their houses fearing aftershocks.There are fears that several tourists may still be trapped in Gangtok and the surrounding areas. Gangtok is barely 54 km from the epicenter and several tourists may be spread across the many tourist spots around the capital city.
UPDATE: UTC 7:46 ( 01:32 Nepal)
Death toll reached 8 in Nepal
UPDATE: UTC 7:30 ( 01:15 Nepal)
Death toll rises to 50 – still not final as we have 9 deaths reported earlier instead of 7 from Nepal – we will update this as soon as we have more official data
UPDATE:5:6:12 UTC ( 11:58 Nepal) According to S.S.P Madav kumar Nepal, still 12 people are admitted in hospital. Nepal police is on Standby, now. The quick response team( QRT) is in alert condition.
UPDATE:5:56 UTC ( 11:41 Nepal)Rain and landslides were blocking rescue efforts of hundreds of workers searching for survivors of earthquake. Authorities say the toll could rise as rescue teams have not been able to reach remote areas. At least two people have died in Bihar, while four deaths have been reported from West Bengal. More than 400 rescue workers trying to reach Sikkim's capital Gangtok which have been cut off by landslides and cracks in the roads. Many towns in Sikkim are experiencing power cuts, while thousands are being sheltered by the government.
UPDATE:5:53 UTC ( 11:38 Nepal)
Taking advantage of the earthquake, prisoners in Jalpaiguri jail from Kolkata (Calcutta), India tried to escape as some of the doors and windows collapsed under the impact of the tremor, prison authorities said. Nearly 1,100 prisoners came out of their cells in the Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home after the windows and doors of some prison cells collapsed. The jail wardens and guards immediately took control of the situation.
UPDATE: 5:22 UTC (11:07 Nepal) In capital city, Kathmandu, Nepal 66 people reported to be injured. Now total 8 deaths reaported in Nepal, officially, but we are getting news of 9 reports(yet to be confirmed).
UPDATE:5:10 UTC ( 10:55 AM Nepal)1 more fatality reported in Sunsari, Nepal – Sabitri Devi Mandal
UPDATE:
50 houses collapsed in Taplejung leaving 16 people injured. Taplejung is about 50 km from the epicenter.
Ishwori Paudyal of Ghattaghar, Bhaktapur district died while undergoing treatment.
A 6 years old girl Ayesha Ghimire of Mechinagar-10 died by the fear of earthquake.
1 person died in Sankhuwasabha.
1 died in Dhankuta
Related Post
M 6.8 Very Strong Earthquake, Which I Didn't Even Feel !!!
The overall death toll from the quake may still rise with rescue efforts at an early stage in eastern Nepal, where difficult terrain and poor infrastructure has hampered access.
Armed police force and Nepal Army personnel are still working( still today) to make the way at the Dharan Dhankuta( koshi Highway) which was damaged after the earthquake
According to Amod Mani Dixit, the executive director of Nepal Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), if a quake like the one in 1934 were to strike the Capital, around 60 percent of the buildings would suffer heavy damage. A majority of the buildings that will be destroyed will be the old un-reinforced masonary ones that lack engineering to resist the earthquakes.
More than 40,000 deaths and 95,000 injuries are expected in the Valley if a major quake is to hit, he added.(sources ekantipur, The himalayan times )
UTC 14:47 ( 08:31 Nepal)
The earthquake ripped apart the landscape in the stretch between Gangtok and Chungthang, causing cracks, landslides and much destruction. Around 80 per cent of the houses at Chungthang have suffered damages with all sorts of cracks. Power has been restored in Gangtok and officials say other towns will have full power supply within the next few days. National Highway 55, which connects Bagdogra to Darjeeling and National Highway 31, that links Gangtok to Bagdogra, have been repaired. Rescue workers were able to clear the landslides both from Bagdogra to Gangtok and Gangtok to Mangan by Tuesday evening. In the process, though, two Army people were killed. Over 15,000 houses collapsed.
2011/09/23 UTC 09:19 ( 03:04 p.m Nepal)
Soldiers in India's northeast have reached the last villages cut off by landslides
Another aftershocks of Magnitude of 3.9 just 3.5 kms N of Sakyong (North Sikkim, Sikkim), India was felt at 16:44( UTC)>>There were no reports of damage from the aftershock
However, no more bodies had been recovered since Thursday. The death toll stood at 106 __ 93 in India, six in Nepal and seven in Tibet.
2011/09/22 UTC 07:51 ( 01:36Nepal) Rescuers on Thursday finally reached villages in India's remote northeast that were cut off by a powerful earthquake.After the magnitude-6.9 quake struck Sunday evening, rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rain and mudslides that blocked roads leading to villages in the remote, mountainous region.
As the weather improved Thursday, with no rain, helicopters ferried relief workers to the inaccessible areas, said R. Sahu, an Indian air force spokesman.
2011/09/22 UTC 06:35 ( 12:20Nepal)
BEIJING (Xinhua) -- Seven people have died and 136 others have been injured in Tibet after the region was hit Sunday evening by a strong earthquake centered in the state of Sikkim in northern India, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Wednesday.
The quake slightly damaged about 13,000 houses, with another 4,500 destroyed or severely damaged.
The ministry has sent 5,000 tents, 20,000 cotton quilts and 20,000 articles of clothing to quake-hit areas to aid in disaster relief efforts. The ministry has also sent work teams to the region to direct disaster relief operations.
2011/09/22 UTC 06:16 ( 12:01pm Nepal)
5 more dead bodies are found in Mangan area( near epicenter).The death toll now becomes 104
UTC 17:31 ( 11:16 Nepal)
Soldiers in northeastern India cleared a path Wednesday to a hydroelectric project where 17 people were confirmed killed by landslides in a powerful Himalayan earthquake, bringing the overall toll in the disaster to 99.A press statement from Teesta Urja Co., which is building the plant, said 10 workers were killed when their vehicles were buried during the quake by boulders dislodged from a hillside. Another seven were killed in a separate landslide.
Sikkim's Chief Minister told reporters Wednesday that according to initial estimates the earthquake had caused losses and damage worth one trillion rupees ($22 billion).
Nearly 60 tourists, stranded in the popular mountain resort of Lachung, clambered onto army helicopters Wednesday and were ferried to the nearest town of Mangan.Lachung is around 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Gangtok, the Sikkim state capital.
According to a report from the Bhutan Department of Disaster Management, the earthquake has caused 1 death, injured 16, and damaged about 4,000 houses
From NIRAPAD in Bangladesh, roofs have collapsed, a number of Katcha houses have been destroyed, 1 person has been injured, and numerous walls have collapsed in the Panchagarh and Thakugaorn districts.
2011/09/21 UTC 04:12 ( 09:57 Nepal)
By late Tuesday a few villagers with badly injured relatives had begun to arrive at Gangtok's main hospital.
2011/09/21 UTC 03:54 ( 09:39 Nepal)
OFFICIAL REPORT
Total deaths-81
India-68( around 50 in sikkim only)
Nepal-7 (earlier report was 12+ from media)
Tibet(China)-6
Due to bad weather, blocked roads( erosion), rescue team still cannot operate efficiently, so the death toll can be increased there.
UTC 17:51 ( 11:11pm Nepal) Landslides, rain and fog hampered relief efforts, with many of the region's high mountain passes being blocked. But army helicopters took advantage of a break in the clouds to fly a small group of rescuers into Mangan, a small town ringed by snow-capped mountains near the epicenter. Numbers of deaths is reported less from Nepal, though the epicenter location is in Taplejung, Nepal, as compared to that of India because of less population density around the epicenter area in Nepal. If the earthquake would hit 40-50 North from the location now, the number of deaths would be in peak from Nepal too. Beside this mostly houses in that area are small.But with 600,000 residents, Sikkhim is the most sparsely populated state and borders Bhutan, Tibet in China and Nepal.
UTC 17:26 ( 11:11pm Nepal)
Death toll reached minimum 92( expected more)
70+ India
10+ Nepal (+ 12 is reported via media)
7 China( China's official Xinhua news agency reported)
Still the rescue operation is going around epicenter area( however exact reports aren't yet flashed, may be problem with communication)
Number of Fatalities are yet to be verified by Government officials.
UTC 15:33 ( 09:19 pm Nepal) Rescue teams backed by army sappers using explosives tried to force their way Tuesday to the remote epicentre of a powerful Himalayan earthquake.Convoys of vehicles carrying rescue workers, medical teams and emergency supplies left the Sikkim capital Gangtok at daybreak Tuesday.One army official told AFP it could take up to 48 hours to clear the entire stretch of road to the quake epicentre.
More than 5,000 army troops were mobilised across the state to help clear roads and assist with the relief operation.
The Press Trust of India said 26 tourists, including 15 trekkers, had been rescued and taken to army encampments for their own safety.There was some relief as power, cut off by the quake, was restored, but landline and mobile communications remained erratic, especially in the worst-affected areas.
UTC 05:21 ( 11:06 Nepal)
Currently the death toll remains at 74( overall)
Currently, rough estimates of damaged buildings are around 100,000 from officials.
Over 5000 troops are on the ground but numerous landslides and also road collapses and mudslides due to the torrential rain has made rescue very difficult.
Rescuers are desperately trying to reach Mangan. A town right at the epicenter where the worst is feared. The population in 2001 of the town was around 1250.
UTC 04:30 ( 10:16 Nepal)
Damaged reports from Nepal(excluding deaths)
Jhapa: More than 20 injured and more than 200 houses damaged.
Illam: more than 600 houses damaged in Illam and Panchthar. Preliminary reports shows that more than 300 houses in Illam are totally collapsed.
Taplejung: 10 injured and 136 houses damaged. Ghunsa, where the earthquake was strongly felt(tourist area) electricity and telephone lines are still disturbed. Beside this continuous rainfall and erosion from the very time of earthquake has caused much problem in that area. Difficulties is being faced to collect detail news and operate rescue operations.
UTC 03:56 ( 9:42 Nepal)Officials said the damage in eastern districts of Nepal, which are closer to epicenter, could be higher than that has been reported initially. The Taplejung District Natural Disaster Relief Committe said the earthquake destroyed 136 houses and injured 10 people in the district alone.More than 50 schools in Taplejung district damaged in the Quake. Landslide triggered by the quake blocked the trail leading to the Kanchanjunga Base Camp.
In Panchthar district, 126 families were displaced in the quake. Around 250 houses were destroyed. The displaced are taking shelter in houses of their relatives and neighbours and in school buildings.
likewise Police confirmed 68 people were injured and 22 houses were damaged in the Valley in the Earthquake on Sunday.
2011/9/20 UTC 03:42 ( 9:28 Nepal)While there are reports of the toll mounting to 39 in Sikkim on Monday evening, the number of quake related deaths in Nepal climbed to 11 from the earlier six( according to 'The Kathmandu Post'). Five more deaths were reported from Taplejung(1), the district closest to epicenter, Sankhuwasabha(1), Sunsari(2), Bara(1) and Jhapa(1).
The Home Ministry, however, put the death toll at Six till Monday evening.
UTC 17:50 ( 11:35 p.m. Nepal)Landslip has occurred in Taplejung in the aftermath of the quake.
Reports also say government's rescue efforts has been affected as some 40 police stations in eight eastern Nepal districts have been partially destroyed. Electricity and phone services also remain halted in many districts in the region.
The Disaster Management Division has said some 1,500 people have been injured and seven have died so far across the country
UTC 17:50 ( 11:35 p.m. Nepal)
The Kathmandu-based British Embassy on Monday said it "deeply regrets" the deaths of three Nepali citizens and injuries to others after the compound perimeter wall of the embassy at Lainchaur collapsed in the aftermath of the 6.8 Richter earthquake.
According to a press release issued by the British Embassy today, the British Ambassador offered his condolences to the local community on Sunday evening and met with relatives of the victims on Monday morning.
The Embassy will continue to do everything possible to help the local community and the Government of Nepal, the release added.
Sajan Shrestha, 36, who is originally from Gorkha, and his daughter Anisha Shrestha, 8, died after their car was smashed by the debris of the concrete wall that collapsed after the quake. Another victim has been identified as Bir Bahadur Majhi, 19, who died after he got trapped under the weight of the compound wall while passing along on his motorbike.
All three died while undergoing treatment at Manmohan Memorial Hospital.
UTC 17:45 ( 11:30 p.m. Nepal)
Kathmandu, Nepal: “There is scant preparedness for a major quake,” says Suraj Shrestha, a civil engineer associated with National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal (NSET), a nongovernmental organization that seeks to build earthquake-safe communities in Nepal by 2020.
Nepal was fortunate because the epicenter was located far enough from major Nepalese cities to prevent more serious damage, Mr. Shrestha says.
The last time a major quake hit Nepal was in 1988. The magnitude-6.5 quake that hit the country then killed 721 people. Before that, the biggest recorded quake to strike the region was a magnitude-8.3 in 1934 that killed some 8,519 people
Nepal introduced quake-resistant building code for the first time in 2003. But the code covers only a handful of cities, including the capital, Kathmandu
According to an estimate by the NSET, some 80 percent of the buildings in the country are not earthquake resistant
UTC 17:10 ( 10:55 p.m. Nepal)
भूकम्पबाट २२ जिल्ला प्रभावित, मृतक परिवारलाई तत्काल राहत २५ हजार
भूकम्पबाट भएको जनधनको क्षति न्यून गरी पीडितको उद्धार तथा राहतलाई प्रभावकारीरुपमा अगाडि बढाउन घटनाको सूचना प्राप्त हुनासाथ राष्ट्रिय आपत्कालीन कार्यसञ्चालन केन्द्रमा गृह मन्त्रालयका सहसचिवको नेतृत्वमा गृहअन्तर्गतका सुरक्षा निकायका प्रतिनिधिसम्मिलित कमान्डपोस्ट खडा गरी उद्धार तथा राहतको समन्वय भइरहेको मन्त्रालयले जनाएको छ।
उद्धार तथा राहतलाई थप प्रभावकारी बनाउन र पीडितलाई यथोचित राहत उपलब्ध गराउन सरकारले आवश्यक कार्य गरिरहेको जनाइएको छ ।
प्रधानमन्त्रीको समेत कार्यभार सम्हाल्नुभएका उपप्रधानमन्त्री विजयकुमार गच्छदारको अध्यक्षतामा बसेको केन्द्रीय दैवी प्रकोप उद्धार समितिको बैठकले भूकम्पमा परी मृत्यु भएका व्यक्तिको परिवारलाई तत्कालीन राहतस्वरुप प्रतिमृतक परिवार रु२५ हजारका दरले घरमै राहत रकम उपलब्ध गराउन सबै जिल्ला दैवी प्रकोप उद्धार समितिलाई निर्देशन दिएको छ।
UTC 16:23 ( 10:08 Nepal)
GANGTOK, India: Heavy rains slowed the relief effort and made conditions miserable for many homeless villagers as they prepared to spend the night outside.
Three emergency workers were killed in the frantic rescue effort, Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh said. More than 6,000 army and paramilitary troops were working to clear concrete slabs, bricks and mud to rescue scores of people trapped under houses that collapsed when the 6.9-magnitude quake struck the Himalayan region Sunday evening.
Nine helicopters dropped food to villages, airlifted a medical team, evacuated the injured and conducted damage assessments, Singh said. Heavy construction equipment was used to clear some of the blocked roads, he said.
UTC 15:29 ( 09:14 Nepal)
The reports of 39 deaths in Sikkim have come to fruition (North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the course of Teesta river). It continues to be extremely difficult to move around due to mudslides, landslides, road outages, and torrential rain.
UTC 15:23 ( 09:08 Nepal)
The Disaster Management Division, Nepal said some 1,500 people were injured
The hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley provided treatment for about 200 people injured in the earthquake on Sunday even as they were not expecting such a disaster.
Although the Bir Hospital, Teaching Hospital, Patan and Bhaktapur hospitals were not well prepared, they treated the patients in the emergency and by keeping extra beds in the floor.
The Kathmandu District Administration Office provided Rs. 25,000 to each of the victims of the Sunday’s quake, today.
UTC 13:03 ( 06:48 Nepal)
UTC 12:53 ( 06:38 Nepal)Over 5000 troops and 9 choppers have been sent by India, showing the extent of damage. Due to the mountainous nature of Sikkim and the area, it could be days before the death toll stabilises. At present, the death toll stands at between 52 and 57.
Sikkim accounts for 23 deaths alone (most casualties occurred in the North district and the villages along the Teesta River. 6 people have died in North Bengal. In Bihar, 7 people have died. In Darbhanga – 4 deaths, and 1 death from each of Nawada, Nalanda and Bhagalpur districts.
7( news of +2 more is flashed, but unofficial) deaths have also occurred in Nepal (Three people were killed at Lainchaur in Kathmandu, two in Sunsari district, and one each in Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha districts in eastern Nepal) and 7 deaths, 22 injuries occurred in Tibet, China.
Reports of 39 deaths from Sikkim have also been reported but will have to be verified.
Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling announced compensation of Rs 500000 for the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.
Many buildings in and around Gangtok have collapsed and around 85 per cent of structures and houses have developed cracks due to the quake that hit Sikkim and other areas last evening, Indian sources report.
UTC 12:38 UTC ( 06:23 Nepal) 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. The helicopters will make aerial survey of remote areas to find survivors.
In Gangtok, power was restored this morning. Residents had spent the night outside their houses fearing aftershocks.There are fears that several tourists may still be trapped in Gangtok and the surrounding areas. Gangtok is barely 54 km from the epicenter and several tourists may be spread across the many tourist spots around the capital city.
UPDATE: UTC 7:46 ( 01:32 Nepal)
Death toll reached 8 in Nepal
UPDATE: UTC 7:30 ( 01:15 Nepal)
Death toll rises to 50 – still not final as we have 9 deaths reported earlier instead of 7 from Nepal – we will update this as soon as we have more official data
- 25 people in India's Sikkim state were killed and more than 50 were injured
- 11 people were killed the neighboring Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal
- 7 deaths confirmed in China and 22 injuries in southern Tibet
- 7 deaths confirmed in Nepal
UPDATE:5:6:12 UTC ( 11:58 Nepal) According to S.S.P Madav kumar Nepal, still 12 people are admitted in hospital. Nepal police is on Standby, now. The quick response team( QRT) is in alert condition.
UPDATE:5:56 UTC ( 11:41 Nepal)Rain and landslides were blocking rescue efforts of hundreds of workers searching for survivors of earthquake. Authorities say the toll could rise as rescue teams have not been able to reach remote areas. At least two people have died in Bihar, while four deaths have been reported from West Bengal. More than 400 rescue workers trying to reach Sikkim's capital Gangtok which have been cut off by landslides and cracks in the roads. Many towns in Sikkim are experiencing power cuts, while thousands are being sheltered by the government.
UPDATE:5:53 UTC ( 11:38 Nepal)
Taking advantage of the earthquake, prisoners in Jalpaiguri jail from Kolkata (Calcutta), India tried to escape as some of the doors and windows collapsed under the impact of the tremor, prison authorities said. Nearly 1,100 prisoners came out of their cells in the Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home after the windows and doors of some prison cells collapsed. The jail wardens and guards immediately took control of the situation.
UPDATE: 5:22 UTC (11:07 Nepal) In capital city, Kathmandu, Nepal 66 people reported to be injured. Now total 8 deaths reaported in Nepal, officially, but we are getting news of 9 reports(yet to be confirmed).
UPDATE:5:10 UTC ( 10:55 AM Nepal)1 more fatality reported in Sunsari, Nepal – Sabitri Devi Mandal
UPDATE:
50 houses collapsed in Taplejung leaving 16 people injured. Taplejung is about 50 km from the epicenter.
Ishwori Paudyal of Ghattaghar, Bhaktapur district died while undergoing treatment.
A 6 years old girl Ayesha Ghimire of Mechinagar-10 died by the fear of earthquake.
1 person died in Sankhuwasabha.
1 died in Dhankuta
According to the National Seismologic Center (NSC) in Kathmandu, the epicenter of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake was in the border areas of Taplejung( epicenter in Dhunsa, Taplejung, Nepal, below 20 km) Tremors were felt as far as Sikkim state in India.
The National Seismological Center said the risk of an immediate big quake has been greatly reduced by 32 subsequent small aftershocks (till 10 pm) and urged the common people to not panic.
“There is always a risk of a big quake if there are no aftershocks but we recorded 32 aftershocks including two of 4.8 magnitude on Richter scale and it has greatly reduced the threat of a bigger quake,” Technical Officer at the center Umesh Prasad Gautam said.
TheHome ministry stated that at least 60 people in Capital were injured in stampedes while jumping off buildings. In Manthali of ramechhap district, 15 houses were damaged by the tremor. In Taplejung, the district prison were damaged. In Sankhuwasabha, the earthquake damaged 16 buildings, including the District Police office, the local Rastriya Banijya Bank branch, the district development Committee, Nepal Red Cross and an armed police force branch base camp.
A police office in Dhanusha was also damaged. Police said some people were spotted jumping off the second floor of Bishal Bazar at New road and at Maharajgunj. Four sustained injuries after they fall from the height.
Related Post
M 6.8 Very Strong Earthquake, Which I Didn't Even Feel !!!
OMG!! still remember that day..it was much dangerous..we just ran out of house..thank god it was slightly in kathmandu here..
ReplyDeleteBibek
Kathmandu, Nepal
The Himalayas, home of the snow, is the most impressive system of mountains on the earth, and for centuries the setting for epic feats of exploration.
ReplyDelete