Three fresh deaths were reported in Darjeeling district
taking the toll in north Bengal to eight since the earthquake shook Nepal yesterday.
Over 50 are under treatment at hospitals across the region.
As a round of tremor shook Siliguri last night, Gyanranjan Das, 81,
and Biren Das, 72, both from Baghajatin Colony in Siliguri, died.
Sources said both tried to come out of their homes but fell down and
suffered cardiac arrests.
"I have met their families and expressed my condolences. Both were
rushed to private clinics and doctors pronounced them dead," said former
minister and CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya.
In Mirik, 50km from Siliguri, Pushpa Pradhan, a 70-year-old heart patient, died during the tremors.
Fresh tremors were felt in Darjeeling and some other parts of north Bengal this afternoon and people rushed in panic.
"This afternoon, 22 people came to Siliguri district hospital, 12
have been admitted and the rest were released after first-aid. Among
those admitted today, 10 needed medical care. Two have suffered injuries
in their limbs. In total, 39 patients are under treatment since the
earthquake struck yesterday," Asit Biswas, the chief medical officer of
health, Darjeeling, said.
Siliguri MLA Rudranath Bhattacharya visited the hospital. "We are
providing best possible treatment. The chief minister visited the
hospital today and we apprised her with all relevant details."
Today, officials of Siliguri Municipal Corporation held a meeting.
"We will conduct an extensive survey and assessment of buildings that
have been damaged. A team of engineers and officials of our building
cell will do the survey," SMC commissioner S.W. Bhutia said.
SMC sources said according to preliminary reports, around 2,000
buildings have suffered different degrees of damage. "While most have
developed cracks in ceilings and walls, there are cases where boundary
walls or a portion of a building has collapsed," said a source.
In Darjeeling, GTA has asked all schools to shut down for the next 40
hours starting tomorrow. Colleges, where exams are on, have been kept
out of the purview of the directive. In Siliguri, some private schools
are shut. "We have decided to keep our school closed from tomorrow till
April 29. We have around 1,200 students," Robin Chakraborty, the
vice-principal of St. Michael's School, at Jyotinagar in Siliguri said.
At Kakarvitta, the border town in Jhapa district of eastern Nepal,
hundreds are waiting for buses to Kathmandu and flights from
Chandragadhi airport in Bhadrapur, around 23km away.
"I am from Bhadrapur and I run a business from Kathmandu. I came here
on Thursday with my wife to see my parents leaving our three children
at home," L.P. Shivakotay said from outside the airport. "We have not
been able to contact our children since yesterday and we are trying to
reach our friends and relatives so that they tell us that our children
are safe." Shivakotay was seated on the ground as his wife Yashoda was
speaking over the cell phone with acquaintances in Kathmandu.
"Not a single flight operated between Bhadrapur and Kathmandu today. I
am waiting with the hope that at least one flight will land here and
take off for Kathmandu," Shivakotay said.
Suryajyoti Rai said: "I stay in Mirik but my family is in Kathmandu.
We were told that no flights were operating. I will book a hotel in
Kakarvitta and wait for transport and flights to resume. I am fortunate
that I could, only once, speak to my family today. They are safe."
Rewant Bahadur Kunwar, the airport chief at Chandragadhi, said: "Our
runway has not suffered any damage and signal and other systems are
working perfectly. But because of some problem or the other flights did
not take off from Kathmandu today. Since the earthquake, no flight has
landed in Bhadrapur. There were five flights today but all have been
cancelled."
Netra Karki, the president of Travel Association of Jhapa, said:
"Everyday, around 25 buses go to Kathmandu and three-four go to Pokhara
from Kakarvitta. Not a single bus has arrived from Kathmandu since
yesterday. Drivers are not ready to go to Kathmandu as the road has been
severely damaged."
From Kakarvitta, Kathmandu is around 450km.
"We are very worried about the prospects of tourism industry in Nepal," Karki said.
The Telegraph
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