Bad weather affects rescue operation in quake-hit Sikkim, 28 dead

Large scale rescue and relief operations were on as the actual impact of Sunday's earthquake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, emerged on Monday. Most of the quake-hit areas lie in the remote and largely inaccessible parts of the small Himalayan state Sikkim.

Till the last information, at least 16 people had died in different Indian states, while neighbouring Nepal reported five deaths. Another seven people were killed in China's autonomous Tibet province.

Bad weather was affecting rescue and relief operations as was raining heavily in most of the affected areas.

According to the ministry of home affairs (MHA), apart from Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram were also affected by the earthquake. Maximum nine people died in Sikkim, while 64 others were injured. West Bengal reported five deaths and injuries to 29. Two people died in Bihar, while one person was reported injured in Assam.

Bad weather affects rescue
Sikkim Governor B.P. Singh said inclement weather was hampering rescue operations. He said north Sikkim was the worst hit by the quake.

The Centre has mobilised 72 columns of army apart from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Border Road Organisation (BRO) personnel. For the first time, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed five aircraft, including two of its newly acquired C 130J Super Hercules.

The planes would be used to transport relief supplies to the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF). The state-of-the-art aircraft are equipped to land in inhospitable terrains in darkness.