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34 killed, 100 injured in Indian states
Kashmir Times. Dated: 4/26/2015 12:44:18 AM
NEW DELHI, Apr 25 (Agencies): Union Home Secretary LC Goyal on Saturday confirmed that 34 people have lost their lives and injuring about 100 others as houses and buildings collapsed or were damaged in the massive earthquake that hit parts of northern and eastern India, and said the government has deputed five NDRF teams with modern equipments to oversee the rescue operations.
"We have been in constant touch with the affected states to assess the situation. The death toll up to now is three in West Bengal, eight in Uttar Pradesh and 23 in Bihar. In order to deal with the situation in the affected states, we have already sent five teams of NDRF. The government will be deputing ten teams of NDRF in Nepal. More teams could also be sent," said Goyal.
"Each team consists of 45 personnel who are fully equipped with modern equipments, the teams also include medical experts and there are sniffer dogs in these teams. The teams are self contained to deal with all kind of crisis," he said.
"We had a video conference with the chief secretaries of all the states. We have promised all kind of help to their states. We have also activated our control rooms. Besides, we have also set up a control room in the cabinet secretariat to do inter-ministerial coordination to coordinate all efforts for the affected states. There are helpline numbers there as well," Goyal said
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi today chaired a high-level meeting in the national capital to review the situation following the major earthquake in Nepal.
The Prime Minister had earlier spoken to the President and Prime Minister of Nepal as well as the Chief Ministers of the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim and Madhya Pradesh respectively.
Prime Minister Modi has assured Nepal of all assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
The Prime Minister was briefed on the inputs regarding the extent of damage to life and property received so far from various places in India and Nepal.
The Union Government's Crisis Management Committee, which met earlier in the day, would be meeting again later today to chalk out the future strategy.
States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were the worst affected parts of India and massive rescue and relief operations were initiated on war-footing basis with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself monitoring the situation and issuing directives.
Union Home Secretary L C Goyal told that 34 people had died due to earthquake in various parts of the country.Of them, 23 died in Bihar, eight in Uttar Pradesh and three in West Bengal, he said. Nearly 100 people were injured in these states.
Home Secretary said that Prime minister also spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister amata Banerjee, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The central government's Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, is holding regular meetings to keep a watch on the situation.
Goyal said five teams of National Disaster Response Force, comprising 45 personnel each, were dispatched to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for conducting rescue and relief operations.
"Our focus is on rescue operations. The damage assessment will follow in some time," he said. The Home Secretary said the NDRF teams are equipped with life saving kits, breathing equipments, paramedics, sniffer dogs, wood and metal cutters and other essential gadgets.
Goyal said Bihar government had sought the NDRF teams and hence one team each has been sent to Darbhanga, Supaul, Motihari and Gopalganj districts of the state.
A similar team has been sent to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
"I am in constant touch with the Chief Secretaries of the affected states and assured them all possible help," he said. Director General of India Meteorological Department Laxman Singh Rathore said that 14 aftershocks above the intensity of 5 on the Richter Scale were registered in the affected areas.
Goyal said an inter-governmental coordination cell has been set up under the cabinet secretariat which will coordinate with all stake holders engaged in rescue and relief operations in Nepal and India.
The Home Secretary said communication networks in the affected states were functioning fine. The National Disaster Management Authority has set up a control room with the telephone numbers : - 011-26701728, 011-26701729, Mobile: +91 9868881801