Quake Toll Rises To 68 In India, Relief Team Reaches Epicentre In Sikkim

At least 68 people have died in the earthquake that struck large parts of north and east India, Home Secretary R.K. Singh said on Tuesday and warned that the toll is expected to go up as rescue operations continue.

"According to the Sikkim government, the toll in the state is 50. Number of deaths in West Bengal is 12 while six people have died in Bihar," he told reporters in New Delhi, two days after the earthquake.

He said two rescue teams from the army had "air dropped" in Sikkim and a team of 10 doctors from Delhi had reached the spot.

"The toll may increase further as rescue teams reach the interiors," the home secretary said.

The army soldiers on Tuesday cleared the road leading to Sikkim's Mangan area, where the epicentre of Sunday's 6.8 magnitude earthquake was located around 10 km under the earth's crust.

Headlines Today was the first news channel to reach Mangan after the catastrophe. The earthquake has left massive destruction all over.

On Tuesday, Mangan -- along the Indo-Nepalese border -- bore testimony to the immense damage to life and property. The devastation was most severe at this place.

Around 200 troopers, including medical teams, reached the area for rescue and relief operations. Quick reaction teams were also rushed to the area through aerial route.

72 killed in Sikkim
The death toll in Sikkim alone stood at 72, with the northern part of the state recording maximum casualties. The 6.8 magnitude quake has left behind badly damaged roads and buildings and disrupted communication lines.

A series of aftershocks rattled survivors and spread panic. Medical teams reached the epicentre, Mangan, using choppers on Tuesday.
Rescue operations remained the biggest challenge as rain and landslides were severely hampering the efforts. Bad weather was not allowing helicopters to land in the affected areas and the Indian Air Force (IAF) planes were unable to air-drop food packets.

The Board Road Organisation (BRO) engineers, meanwhile, managed to open National Highway 31A on Monday, while the highway from Darjeeling to Nathu La was expected to be cleared on Tuesday.

Over 5,000 army soldiers and 700 from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have been engaged in rescue and relief operation with the help of nine helicopters.

The army and the ITBP were also operating relief camps to house the survivors.

The Centre and the state government have announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively for the next of kin of those killed in the quake.

Nine killed in Bengal
West Bengal has also been reeling under the impact of Sunday's quake. Official reports said nine people were killed in the northern parts of the state.
Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur were the worst affected districts. Heavy rains stood in the way of rescue operations in these districts.

Such was the impact of the quake in Jalpaiguri that a residential building tilted and has since been leaning against the adjoining building.

In neighbouring Mynaguri, deep cracks have appeared on National Highway 31 connecting Siliguri to Guwahati. Parts of the road have also caved in.

Other affected areas
Northern parts of Bihar also saw some devastating effects of the quake. At least six people were killed in the state.
The earthquake had also claimed lives of at least seven people each in neighbouring Himalayan nation Nepal and China's autonomous Tibet province.