Rahul visits quake-hit Sikkim : Rescue operations continue

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made an aerial survey of quake-hit North Sikkim, besides visiting an affected village and a hospital in Gangtok.

Accompanied by Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, the Congress General Secretary made the aerial survey of the north district which had suffered the maximum number of casualties - 37, officials said.

After reaching Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri two hours behind schedule due to inclement weather, Gandhi took a chopper and landed at the army helipad in Libing.

The Congress leader then visited Lumsey, a residential pocket near Gangtok, which was also visited by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Gandhi also visited the Central Referral Hospital, Manipal, here and interacted with the injured. After the aerial survey, he left for Meghalaya.

Meanwhile, Seven more bodies were found in the quake rubble, taking the death toll in the calamity in Sikkim to 97 as rescuers struggled to reach the devastated areas where "heavy casualties" were feared.

Official sources said six bodies were found in East Sikkim and one in North Sikkim, where the 6.8 magnitude temblor was epicentred.

Fresh landslides triggered by heavy rains were reported in the worst-affected areas of Mangan, Lachung, Lachen and Sighthan areas of North Sikkim Tuesday night.

The landslides and landslips along the 60 km stretch between Gangtok and Mangan along NH31A, the lifeline of the mountain state, was affecting rescue operations in the higher reaches in the mountains, army sources said.

Army sources said a 8-10 km stretch at Tung, which is 16 km off Mangan, had caved in impeding rescue operators from reaching worst-hit Chungthang.

Sikkim Director General of Police Jasbir Singh said Border Road Organisation personnel were deployed to clear the highway.

District collectors have been asked to reach Mangan, Lachen, Lachung and Chungthan, rendered inaccessible by the landslides, immediately by air as more bodies are feared to be trapped in under quake debris.

"Heavy casualties are feared in these areas," he said.

Indian Air Force continued recces in North Sikkim, where relief material was airdropped on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the bus missing with 24 passengers and crew was rescued from Tung on Tuesday night.

Army, NDRF and disaster management personnel walked to Tung, between quake epi-centre Mangan and Chungthang and rescued the people in the bus last night.

However, one person in the bus had died, official sources said.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi has, meanwhile, reached Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal on way to Gangtok, the Sikkim DGP said.

Inclement weather delayed his arrival by about two hours.

Gandhi is scheduled to visit worst-hit Chungthang during the day, he added.

PM speaks to Sikkim CM again to promise help

As the extent of damage caused by Sunday's earthquake in Sikkim unfolded gradually, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling again today to assure him that the Centre would do everything needed to deal with the situation.

Singh also called a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs to take stock of the situation and discuss ways to help the state, PMO sources said.

The Prime Minister's telephonic talk with Chamling was the second since the powerful quake had struck Sikkim on Sunday evening.

The Centre swung into action soon after the quake, rushing relief and medical teams to the state.

Singh has also announced ex-gratia relief of Rs two lakh for the kin of those killed in the quake and Rs one lakh for those injured.