Nearly 1,100 prisoners in Jalpaiguri Correctional Home Prisoners come out as jail damaged in quake

Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), Sep 18 : Many of the nearly 1,100 prisoners in Jalpaiguri Correctional Home came out of their cells as the age old gates and window gave way in the earthquake that rocked this town Sunday evening.

However, police and correctional home employees have put up a cordon around the premises to prevent the prisoners from escaping.

"The windows and some of the doors are from the British era and they collapsed due to the impact of the earthquake. So many prisoners have come out in the open. We have cordoned off the premises with a large contingent of police force so that prisoners cannot escape," said Utpal Adhikary, a staff of the correction home.

Adhikary said the prisoners were rattled due to the earthquake and many of them came out of the cells after the tremors.

"There was lot of chaos after the earthquake. Around 1,000 prisoners are housed here. Excepting some female wards and hospitals ward, all other wards were affected. We cannot ascertain till now whether all the prisoners are there. We will start the counting later in the night," said Adhikary.

One person was killed in the district after a wall collapsed due to 6.8 Richter scale earthquake, that has hit various parts of the state.

Four people were killed, at least 100 injured, and power supply was disrupted in parts of northern West Bengal as a powerful quake, epicentred in adjoining Sikkim, rocked the region Sunday evening. Many buildings developed cracks

--IANS