India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Sikkim on Sept 27

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit earthquake hit Sikkim on September 27. Sikkim’s information and public relations secretary Karma Tobgay said that Singh would be visiting the state on September 27 to take stock of the situation.

The state had been hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 18 causing extensive damage especially in North Sikkim. “The government of Sikkim will be handing him a detailed report on the damages caused by the killer quake” said Tobgay.

As rescue and relief operations continued in the incessant rain the official death toll hit the 77 mark. The injured are being treated in various government facilities and also referred to hospitals outside the state.

“There are 102 relief camps operational in the quake affected areas of the state. The Sikkim government employees have decided to contribute a day’s salary for relief. The state government has already handed over a sum of Rs 12 crore, 51 lakhs and 50 thousand to various departments for immediate relief and reconstruction” added the IPR secretary.

Heavy rains since Friday night have triggered anxiety of further damage. On Friday night a five-storied building collapsed in the Baluakhani area of Gangtok after a six storied building had tilted on it. Eight persons were injured in the incident.

Women IAF pilots shine in Sikkim relief and rescue operations

Bagdogra, Sep 24 (IANS) Women pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been in the thick of action the past week, carrying out relief and rescue operations in earthquake-hit Sikkim from this air base in north Bengal.

Three of the 30-odd pilots from the 142 Helicopter Unit are putting in long hours to conduct sorties from ‘sunrise to sunset’ to reach supplies and carry out evacuation from the remotest corners of north Sikkm, the epicentre of Sunday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake.

The air base is the centre of all IAF relief operations for the neighbouring state.

Flying the Cheetah and Chetak choppers of the IAF, the women pilots have matched their skills with their men colleagues and have ‘captained’ their respective choppers during the relief operations in some of the most inhospitable terrains after the tremor. Many inhabited areas are still cut off from the rest of the country due to landslides, and have been kept on life-support through air bridges.

Flight-Lieutenant Arunima Vidhate, a 26-year-old pilot who has clocked in over 350 hours of flying the Cheetahs and Chetaks, said her first sortie middle of last week was for carrying out a recce of the quake-hit areas to provide valuable inputs to the rescuers to reach the remote corners.

She also guided relief workers to reach the landslide spots to clear the roads for rescuers to move in.

Vidhate, who has been in the air force for four years now, is a captain of her flying machine.

So is 25-year-old Poornima Ranade, who too has clocked in 250 hours on the Cheetahs and Chetaks.

‘We carry out sorties from sunrise to sunset. I have done some sorties to provide food supplies to tiny villages in remote corners of north Sikkim,’ says Ranade.

‘The joy you see in the eyes of the people and relief on their face when we reach them with supplies and medicines, it brings joy to me to. They are happy to see us, after remaining cut off and hopeless for hours,’ chips in Vidhate.

‘In fact, just hearing the sound of our rotors, the people on the ground gain in faith that there are people to take care of them in their worst times,’ she adds.

Ask her if the stranded people are surprised to see women piloting choppers coming to their rescue, Vidhate quickly responds: ‘Not anymore. People are now used to seeing women pilot airplanes and choppers. In fact, I have seniors who have done this for a decade now.’

Dalai Lama reincarnation details but not until he’s 90

DHARMSALA, India — The Dalai Lama said Saturday if he is to be reincarnated he will leave clear written instructions about the process, but that the matter is unlikely to come up for a number of years.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said in a statement that when he is “about 90” he will consult Buddhist scholars to evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue at all. He is 76.

The statement came after a meeting between the Dalai Lama and the leaders of the four Tibetan Buddhist sects, the first since he transferred his political role earlier this year to an elected prime minister.

China reviles the Dalai Lama as a separatist, although the Nobel Peace Prize laureate insists he is only seeking increased autonomy for Tibet. Beijing has left little doubt that it intends to be deeply involved in choosing the next Dalai Lama. That concern has led the current Dalai Lama to contemplate ideas that break with the ancient system in which each dead Dalai Lama is reincarnated in the body of a male child.

In May, the Dalai Lama formally stepped down as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, giving up the political power that he and his predecessors have wielded over Tibetans for hundreds of years. Though he remains the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, his decision to abdicate is one of the biggest upheavals in the community since a Chinese crackdown led him to flee Tibet in 1959 into exile in India.

China insists that religious law requires that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation be born in a Tibetan area under Chinese control. However, the Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born in exile and has even floated the idea of choosing his own successor while still alive — perhaps even a woman.

In his statement Saturday, he said if the institution of the Dalai Lama were to continue, then he would leave behind “clear written instructions about it.”

“Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China,” he said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala since fleeing Tibet. China says Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the region was virtually independent for centuries.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press

100 Army Special Forces troops deployed in Sikkim

Gangtok:To carry out relief operations in areas rendered inaccessible due to the powerful earthquake that struck the Himalayan region last week, the Indian Army has deployed over 100 troops of its Special Forces in Sikkim.

Indian Army's Para-Special Forces deployed in nearby locations were brought here and then flown to totally cut off regions in North Sikkim by Mi-17 choppers, Indian Air Force (IAF) officials said.

Over four sorties with 22 SF troops each were flown to Chungthang and from there they were sent to forward locations.

The SF troops are carrying with them special equipment including ropes and other climbing gear which can be used to reach inaccessible places in mountains and help in rescuing stranded civilians and military personnel.

The troops are also carrying stretchers to evacuate stranded people.

The SF men have been divided in various small teams to conduct rescue operations in targeted areas and are also assisting in clearing important roads in the quake-hit areas of Sikkim.

The SF troops have been positioned in areas where the 112 brigade of the Indian Army is deployed. This Brigade which looks after the Indian border with China has been cut off from roads since the earthquake struck the region on September 18.

The army SF troops have been trained to carry out special operations in both conventional and non-conventional warfare.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to donate Rs five crore to quake hit Sikkim

PATNA: Nitish Kumar today said he would donate Rs five crore from his Chief Minister Relief Fund to his Sikkim Counterpart's relief fund on behalf of the people of Bihar for helping quake-hit victims.

"We have decided to donate Rs five crore from CM Relief Fund to Sikkim CM Relief Fund for helping the quake-hit victims in Sikkim", Kumar said.

He said he had also asked Chief Secretary Anup Mukherjee to get in touch with his counterpart in Sikkim to find out as to whether they required any special assistance from Bihar

Five-storey house goes down

Gangtok, Sept. 24: A five-storey house belonging to Bhaichung Bhutia’s mentor and state sports secretary Karma P. Bhutia collapsed tonight after an adjoining six-storey building tilted and fell against it, injuring eight persons.

The incident occurred two days after The Telegraph reported how building norms were being flouted in a mountainous terrain that is under seismic zone IV, the second most vulnerable area in the country according to the India Meteorological Department that had drawn up the classification. In Gangtok, the height of buildings is restricted to five storeys.

Around 6.15pm, the six-storied building of the late Sonam Choda Lepcha, a minister in the Nar Bahadur Bhandari government, suddenly tilted and hit Karma’s house in the Baluakhani area of town. Karma’s house, a concrete structure, then came down as a pack of cards.

All but the two top floors of the building can be seen resting but that also in a tilted position at the road level. The floors below have been totally destroyed, police said.

Karma’s house had an ATM kiosk on the first floor which also had the office of Bhaichung’s United Sikkim Football Club. A club official present at the spot said the office was completely buried under rubble and all the cups and trophies were inside. “We are yet to assess the damage,” he said.

Bhutia’s driver in STNM

“Karma and his daughter, Rinzing were watching television while two carpenters were working when suddenly he saw the adjoining building begin to sway and start tilting to its left. Both of them managed to come out just in time. But two carpenters were trapped as was Bhutia’s driver,” the club official said. He said the late minister’s house had tilted after Sunday’s quake. Local people said yesterday’s tremor at 10.20pm followed by rain this evening must have done the final damage.

According to M.S. Tuli, the police superintendent of East Sikkim, seven persons, four from Sonam’s house and the same number from Karma’s house have been rescued. All those rescued from Karma’s house — his driver Sonam Bhutia, tenant O.P. Chhetri, and two carpenters from Jalpaiguri, Sujit Sarkar and Prasanta Sarkar — were admitted to the STNM Hospital.

Sonam’s family members had vacated the building after Sunday’s quake.

K.B. Guring, an assistant medical officer at the STNM Hospital, said all three had suffered head injuries but they “were stable.”

“The area has been cordoned off and rescue operations were carried out by the army, the fire brigade, the police and personnel of the civil defence. The rescue operations are over,” Tuli said. He said two vehicles parked between the two buildings were badly damaged.

Pradip Chhetri, a tenant in Sonam’s house, said when the building started tilting, he thought it was another earthquake. “It was raining heavily and I suddenly felt the house tilt to its left side and crash against the one next door. I managed to use ropes to clamber down on to the street,” Pradip said.

(The Telegraph)

Children return home after holiday was declared at Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok on Friday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

VISUALS: Trapped inmates rescued from Collapsed Gangtok Buildings near Vajra Cinema Hall

Two buildings collapse in Gangtok

GANGTOK, 24 Sept: Following the massive earthquake of 18 September which has damaged thousands of buildings statewide, it was only a matter of time before news poured in of collapsing buildings. Late this evening, a five-storied building belonging to the Secretary, Sports & Youth Affairs Department, near the Vajra Cinema hall on the North Sikkim Highway collapsed trapping three people inside. Miraculously, all three survived after rescue personnel comprising of civilians, the army and NDRF pulled them out of the debris in time. Only the top two floors could be seen above the road while the other 3 stories had sunk.

Trapped in the collapsed building were a driver, a carpenter and his helper. They were trapped in the lower stories which had sunk. After about half an hour of rescue efforts, they were evacuated and rushed to the hospital in a waiting ambulance.
The building also housed the offices of the United Sikkim Football Club a team of which was due to leave for Kolkata tomorrow and an ATM of Axis Bank. The building behind upon which the building has collapsed, houses a school which is also now precariously positioned.
Fortunately no one was in the building at the time of the collapse, the structure having been evacuated earlier.
But that is not the only building which has collapsed or damaged. The five storied building is believed to have collapsed after the building standing adjacent to it, belonging to former minister, Sonam Choda Lepcha, sank, taking the other building along with it.
A couple of vehicles were also damaged when the ground on which they were parked, in front of the building, also sunk with the structure. One of the vehicles was totally crushed.
The building before Sonam Choda Lepcha’s building has also tilted slightly and is also on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately these buildings had been evacuated. In fact the building belonging to the late Minister had a guest house of a central government agency which had been evacuated on yesterday, on 22 September.
While no one was killed or seriously injured in this mishap, it has brought a renewed anxiety and nervousness among the people. In fact many are now sleeping outdoors inspite of the rain. It has also awakened the state administration to the possibility of having to examine and verify the safety of buildings in the state.
(NowDailY)

Relief team reaches traumatized remote Sikkim Villages

Relief team carrying relief materials crosses a landslide at Bey Village in Upper Dzongu on 22nd September 2011

Funeral of earthquake victims at Bey where seven people were killed when a landslide pulverised their homes. The funeral was organized by VHAS volunteers. A fresh landslide tore down the slope even as the cremation was underway

The volunteers distribute medicines to earthquake
survivors at Bey

The part of Bey village where a landslide washed away
seven people and their homes on Sunday night

Voluntary Health Association of Sikkim (VHAS) has been trying to gather information on the disaster and also directly visiting affected areas of different districts for immediate relief work.

VHAS has been coordinating with government agencies such as District Control Room, District Development Officers, Block Development Officer, Rural Development Assistant, Panchayats members and NGOs, informs a press release.
A team of VHAS comprising of Executive Director, Dr BB Rai, Mr Nehru, Mr Ashok, Mr. Ash Bahadur, Mr. Subhankar, Mr. Kamal and Mr. Prem Chettri reached the highly affected villages of Tumin Gram Panchayat Unit of East District on 19 Sept. As access to the villages was totally damaged, the team had to walk through jungles and hills for more than five hours to reach the affected villages.

The VHAS relief team reached Bey village yesterday at 10.30 am where almost all the houses are totally damaged. The team distributed readymade food items, poly tents, torch with batteries and First Aid boxes containing medicines for minor ailments. While the VHAS team was interacting with the Panchayat, a helicopter came and dropped raw food items basically rice, dal and cooking oil. After collecting the items that were dropped, they were stored in one damaged house. In order to protect it from rain, the VHAS team covered the roof of the house with poly tents.
Thanking the team, the Panchayat, narrated the story of the earthquake and landslides. He said, members of his family have been washed away by the landslides while his brother and sister in-law were buried along with their child but the disaster has compelled him to be strong to face the challenges ahead. A total of seven people have been washed away in the Bey village and one child is missing, he said. One part of the Bey village comprising of four houses was totally washed away without leaving any trace, he added.
The VHAS Relief team helped them in organizing the funeral of four dead bodies on the bank of a nearby river. While the funeral ceremony was going on, landslides suddenly struck and every one ran away from the place, halfway through the funeral. The team convinced the people to come down to Lingzya village, a safer and accessible place where relief camps are well organized. The people have agreed to come down to Lingzya village by tomorrow.
The VHAS team returned in the afternoon and reported the situation to the North District Control Room and reached Gangtok last night.

Superstitions, rumours add to Sikkim's quake woes

GANGTOK: Natural calamities have always had a share of superstition built around them, and there are many in today's Sikkim, including Buddhist monks, who believe that more quakes are in store and that the ones to come would be even more devastating.

Hundreds of people from township areas like Gangtok are seeking safer havens either down in the plains or in their villages, till such time as the 'evil eye' is on the state.

People are scared and rumours abound. On Thursday, there were rumours of flash floods having swept away 106 people, while on Friday, Sikkim woke up to intense rumours of lava welling up from the depths of Gurudongmar Lake, one of the world's highest fresh water lakes at 17,100 feet in north Sikkim. The scare has scarred public imagination.

Added the fact that meteorological experts confirm no less than 50 earthquakes having rocked the state since September 18 so far, the situation is still tense.

Despite the superb handling of the post-quake scene by the Army and civil authorities, there is a sense of doom among common people who aren't sure at all of what lies ahead.

According to Gopinath Raha, met-in-charge of Sikkim, the saga of quakes did not end last Sunday, when the first earthquake struck. The primary quake measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and this was followed in minutes by two more of about 4-plus intensity. Raha confirmed that till date, more than 50 have taken place, of which about 8 were pretty big, while the rest 42 were mild bordering between 3 and 1 Richter.

Raha said that even last Sunday, the three quakes that were felt, were not the only ones to have taken place. Infact, Sikkim was rocked 18 times that evening and through the night. It was just that the three that got reported, were the only ones that jolted people everywhere.

This was followed by a virtual deluge of quakes. There were 20 last Monday, two on Tuesday, six on Wednesday and four on Thursday. The northern reaches are still under heavy rains. Infact Army sources confirmed that while they were able to rescue 45 people on Friday from Chungthang in choppers, flying further north wasn't possible.

With rescue teams facing difficulties to reach some farflung quakehit areas in Sikkim, hundreds of survivors are trekking out of their cut-off villages, crawling sometimes to negotiate dangerous stretches. Hundreds of villagers from inaccessible higher areas of Lachung, Lachen and Chungthan have gathered at Tung after an arduous trek down and are being taken to safe places.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, the Union power ministry has asked National Hydro Power Corporation to extend all possible assistance to Sikkim, so that normalcy can be restored all over, particularly the earthquake affected areas near NHPC's 510 mw Teesta Hydel power station and 60 mw Rangit Hydel power station.

Minister of State for Power KC Venugopal held this review meeting on Friday to discuss the Sikkim situation. He asked NHPC to act on a war footing and spare men and machinery to clear roads and carry on with other rehabilitation work.

A decision was also taken to avail of the services of seismic experts from IIT Roorkee, to analyse earthquake data and conduct earthquake impact studies at dam sites of NHPC in the region. Apart from this, an expert team of geologists, engineers and senior executives of NHPC from Delhi were also asked to visit the site and submit a report.

The Power Grid Corporation was instructed to expedite restoration of power. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) was also asked to compile seismic data collected from its power stations in north eastern states for further analysis at IIT Roorkee.

Himalayan Earthquake Images

SIKKIM EARTHQUAKE VISUALS

Rebuilding Sikkim Again

A rainbow brings cheer to Sikkimese amid pain and sorrow

On Friday morning, the road was cleared up to Toong from Mangan, headquarters of North Sikkim district. Five days after the massive earthquake that struck the region, it came as a big relief to local residents as well as the Army personnel who were engaged in the gargantuan task of clearing the roads.

From Toong, the road bifurcates towards two quake-ravaged destinations, Shipgyre and Chunghthang.

“The real fight starts from here though. What we have done so far will be nothing in comparison to the challenge that lies ahead,” Sanjay Sharma, Commanding Officer of 52 Engineer Regiment of the Army asserted.

The fresh jolt of earthquake late on Thursday has left life here further vulnerable. Just when the residents of North Sikkim district were about to emerge from last Sunday's nightmare to start life afresh, the initiative got paused once again.

Ashok Subba was searching for remnants of his makeshift home at Toong amid rubbles. The house was flattened under tonnes of debris that rolled down the mountain side during the earthquake. One of his relatives was injured.

He suddenly found a packet full of photographs in the wreckage and began showing pictures of his injured relative.

Two girls, Dali Sherpa and Nagpa Diki, were busy loading their belongings on a lorry to shift to a safer place. Dali's mother, Sonu, was waiting for them in Voong Basti under Naga gram panchayat. They have shifted to a rented house here. Sonu was silent throughout. Grief visible in her eyes, she went about making their new home liveable.

Dali, a Class X student, was injured in a massive landslide and still feels pain at the back of her head. Her school closed down after the quake and none knows when it will reopen.

People from Chunghthang, Lachen, Paigong and Lachung continue trekking towards Mangan, braving the treacherous mountain and forest paths to reach to safer places.

Shering, who trekked down from Chunghthang to Toong this morning, said that the Teesta Urja project tunnel is in good shape and he had reached Chungthang by walking through the tunnel.

He went to Chunghthang on Thursday to find his friend who has not communicated since last Sunday.

It started raining while returning to Mangan from Toong. When the rains stopped, a middle-aged woman's happy voice drew my attention. She was calling her son to show the rainbow that had appeared on the horizon.

Maybe it was the first time that a rainbow was visible in North Sikkim after the quake hit the district as it immediately led people to forget all their fear and pain experienced over the past few days and become delighted.

And, needless to say that nature only can do it!

(The Hindu)

2 Multi-Storey Buildings Collapses in Gangtok

Injured man rescued to STNM hospital from Balwakhani building collapse

Gangtok Sep 23: A seven-storied residential apartment in this Sikkim capital caved in Friday, killing three people and injuring 50.

The apartment had 75 occupants, a police official said. It was raining heavily in the Sikkim capital. Details are not known.

Another building also collapsed. However, it was vacant and there were no injuries.The house collapse comes days after the Sep 18 earthquake in Sikkim that killed around 80 people in the state.

TheseTwo buildings collapsed in Gangtok a few moments ago today around 6.30pm , following the tremor on Thursday night. Panic spread among the residents of the city.

Army intensifies rescue operation after Sunday’s killer quake

Trishul broken at ChhaarDhaam,Namchi,Sikkim

The Army and the Border Roads Organisation personnel on Thursday intensified their search and rescue operation at Dzongu, Chungthang and Lachen in Sikkim’s worst-hit North District, which was inaccessible due to debris caused by landslides after Sunday’s killer quake.

The Army and the BRO personnel were busy removing landslides and debris from roads and tunnels to reach the inaccessible remote areas, including seven hamlets in Dzongu, official sources said.

Army personnel involved in the rescue operation at Saffu could not reach the Teesta Urja project site by road, owing to landslides and reached the area through the project tunnels.

Most of the people, including tourists, have been evacuated from Lachen, but there were fresh landslides in the area which, coupled with intermittent rains, made the going difficult for the Army, the sources said.

“We have no idea yet of the condition in villages like Sakyong-Pentong and Bey which were in forest areas beyond Dzongu,” an official said.

The villages in Sikkim are scattered and there is only one major highway connecting Mangan to Dzongu.

Lingza and Bey villages in Upper Dzongu in the North District were reconnected to the outside world for a brief period on Wednesday after remaining cut off for five days, but fresh landslides blocked the road linking the villages to Mangan.

The debris was cleared up to Lingza Falls enabling Army and police personnel to resume their mission to reach food supplies to the marooned people.

From the Lingza Falls they headed onwards the villages on foot.

Local people said some villages like 12 Mile had been completely wiped out.

Power company Teesta Urja on said its under-construction 1,200-MW Teesta State-III hydroelectric project in North District was not much affected by the 6.8 magnitude temblor.

“No section of the tunnels of project works, at Saffu or at any other location on the site, is flooded or has collapsed,” the company said in a statement in New Delhi.

Anger over 'lethargic response' to India Sikkim quake

In parts of the earthquake-hit Indian state of Sikkim, conditions on the ground are little short of apocalyptic.

Entire areas are cut off because of landslides - and more often than not people are without clean water, adequate food supplies, medicine and telephone contact with the outside world.

Sikkim's hospitals have seldom been so full.

With local people bereft of help, it is hardly surprising that this disaster has created some resentment among them.

I experienced this overwhelming sense of frustration near Mangan - the epicentre of Sunday's quake - when a group of villagers stopped my car and demanded an explanation.

"Why are reporters focusing on the good work by the government, while no aid has reached any of the villages?" one of them angrily demanded.

Such was the angst of villagers that they seized my equipment and only returned it only after extracting a promise from me that I would report the "real story".

One of them, Rasi Tobgay, spoke for many when describing the destruction on the ground and the suffering of local people.

"It is impossible to take the seriously injured to the hospital because army helicopters are hovering with ministers in the sky," he said.

'Inactive' authorities

The villagers say little aid has been delivered beyond Mangan, although food packets have been air-dropped intermittently by the Indian air force.

It is estimated that about 100,000 houses have been damaged Chungthang is in the southern end of north Sikkim and it is in this area that the quake has been the most catastrophic.

Hardly any parts of north Sikkim, connecting India to Tibetan plateau, have received any substantial aid since Sunday.

Action Aid spokeswoman Banamallika Choudhury - who has reached Chungthang - told the BBC that there have been no more than one or two daily helicopter sorties.

"Two helicopters can carry no more than three or four tonnes of food or medical supplies - and that is nothing for thousands of villagers," she said.

Ms Choudhury says that apart from rescuing a handful of tourists, the authorities have remained largely "inactive" in the face of a huge humanitarian disaster.

"The roads are still cut off, there is no supply of electricity or telephone connectivity and the villagers have to arrange for the rebuilding of houses while providing first aid to the injured," she said.

Continue reading the main story
“Conditions are going from bad to worse as more patients arrive for treatment having walked from distant villages to Gangtok” Doctor in Gangtok
Ms Choudhury says that local people "harassed" journalists who arrived in Chungthang on Wednesday night because they believe that the media has unthinkingly projected only the government's side of the story.
So has the response of the authorities been inadequate? Whatever the answer, there is no doubt they face numerous formidable challenges.

Principal among these are landslides, still taking place on a regular basis because of the quake and because recent heavy rainfall has loosened much of the mountainous land mass.

The state government may be stating the obvious when it reiterates that aid cannot get through while roads remained blocked, but it remains a valid point.

One such post-quake landslide recently washed away several houses in Jaangu area, close to Chungthang.

"We are still counting the casualties," Sikkim government spokesman KS Tobgay told the BBC.

Bombarded by boulders

While the main road link connecting Sikkim to mainland India - national highway 31A - has reopened with a disturbed traffic flow, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) employees say that the task of clearing the highways is not getting any easier.
Relief is being delivered, but critics say it is too little, too late "We are working around the clock but even then traffic movement remains disrupted," BRP spokesman Rajaram Pal told me.

He said that the loosening of the land mass meant that no sooner had the highway been "cleaned" than more rocks and trees would fall down on top of it from the surrounding mountains.

One such landslide killed at least 17 workers in a hydropower plant in Chungthang, with employees literally bombarded by falling boulders.

The Sikkim government has admitted that the situation in north Sikkim is worrying and "no solution is in sight in the immediate future".

Mr Tobgay says that while "roads are being totally washed away" in and around Chungthang, it will take time to re-establish communication links.

In the meantime government officials at the forefront of the relief effort have been left with no option other than to trek 30-40km (18-24 miles) to reach places like Chungthang, Lachen, Lachung and Thangu valley, all close to India's border with Tibet.

So while the government relief effort is getting off the ground - with aid workers, doctors and disaster management teams being air-dropped in some areas - the numbers are small and the need is great.

On Wednesday there were 18 helicopter sorties that carried about 40 tonnes of food packets and medical supplies.

"That by no standard is adequate for hundreds of thousands of people," a government official said.

Meanwhile in the state capital Gangtok water supplies are becoming increasingly irregular. The state government has announced that water will only be supplied on alternate days in municipal areas.

If poor sanitation and water-borne diseases become problems, hospitals in the city are already flooded with patients, most with broken limbs.

"Conditions are going from bad to worse as more patients arrive for treatment, having walked from distant villages to Gangtok," one doctor in the city told me.

With no hope in sight for the beleaguered inhabitants of north Sikkim, the Indian home minister is visited Gangtok "to take stock of the situation".

He does not need a team of advisers to realise that the state is facing its worst crisis in recent years and that the under-powered relief effort now needs to move into top gear.

BBC

No trace of 120 people at a North Sikkim village

TUNG (NORTH SIKKIM): There is still no trace of 120 residents of Bay village in North Sikkim, located between Lachung and Chungthang, after Sunday's powerful quake even as a flash flood at Lachung poses a fresh threat of landslides.

"We find no trace as yet of 120 people living in 14 huts at Bay village as the area is totally devastated. There is a lot of debris ... and the residents have gone missing," National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team in-charge Nisith Upadhyay said.

He said four NDRF teams have fanned out to worst-hit Lingu, Sakyang, Pentong and Bay villages in North Sikkim which have been rendered almost inaccessible after the quake.

"We are afraid some bodies may have been trapped under the flattened houses as boulders are lying strewn all over," he added.

According to SR Bhutia, deputy director of horticultural society of Sikkim, who led the four teams, "we haven't found any person in the village. We are searching for them."

Meanwhile, a flash flood at Lachung Chu river has posed a threat of fresh landslides at Lachung, one of the worst-hit by the quake, according to a Geological Survey of India officer.

"The flash flood will loosen the soil and may trigger fresh landslides in the area," the GSI's Sikkim zone officer said.

Forty personnel of the Reserve Army Engineering regiment were working round-the-clock to clear the National Sikkim Highway blocked by landslides.

Army rescuers gained further access to quake-hit areas with the removal of debris collected on the 70-km Gangtok-Mangan road following the temblor for another 15 KM upto Tung.

Army sources said it would take 10 to 12 days more to reach the affected villages after removing the rocks and boulders blocking the road.

A portion of an entire hill had tumbled down on the highway which leads to the Tibet border.

Personnel of the Army's engineering regiment have been exploding dynamites to remove the huge boulders that came hurtling down on the highway.

Road connectivity with Chungthang, Lachung and Lachen has not yet been established.

Gujrat extends aid of Rs 2 crore to quake-hit Sikkim

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sent a cheque of Rs two crore from Chief Minister's Relief Fund to Sikkim government, following the Sunday's devastating earthquake.

"We understand the condition of the people of Sikkim after the massive earthquake," Modi said in a statement today.

"(We) Have sent a cheque for Rs two crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling as a a token financial help," Modi said.

He said Gujarat had developed infrastructure for dealing with natural calamities, and it was ready to help if required.
"Having successfully managed a massive earthquake rehabilitation programme, Gujarat humbly offers its services to Sikkim," Modi said on twitter

Madhya Pradesh offers Rs. 5-crore assistance to Sikkim quake affected

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a financial assitance of Rs. 5 crore for the victims of the Sikkim earthquake.

In an official statement, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced the assistance for the victims of the quake which has already claimed over a 100 lives, according to news reports.

Mr. Chauhan talked to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling over telephone and said that in this hour of tragedy, the people of Madhya Pradesh are with him.

The state government will provide all possible help needed in this hour of natural calamity, Mr. Chauhan reportedly told Mr. Chamling.

Mild Tremors felt again in Gangtok,Sikkim

Sikkim, Sep 22:Amidst the fear among the Sikkim people after Sunday’s earthquake, two mild tremors jolted the Himalayan state last night, causing panic among the people.People ran out of their homes as two mild tremors hit the Sikkim capital Thursday night, four days after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake killed scores and caused widespread devastation in the state. The Indian Meteorological Department said the tremors hit the state at 10.15 pm and 10.45 pm. Its epicentre was in Sikkim. People poured out onto the streets as the tremor shook the city. At around midnight, much of the city was still on the roads.With Sunday’s memories fresh in their minds, the people took shelter on the roads despite heavy rains. The NETV journalists who are in Sikkim have witnessed that fear and insecurity in the minds of the people.From the children to the aged, all were seen taking shelter on the streets amidst the heavy rain. Their only prayer to the God was to show some mercy on them from the nature’s fury. This elderly couple was only praying for the best.Earlier in the evening, a 4.8 magnitude quake, epicentred in Myanmar, was felt in parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram at 7.48 PM.

(NETV Correspondent)

Sikkim earthquake: Death toll rises to 112

 Gangtok: Three days since the earthquake struck Sikkim, the devastation still unfolding. With 20 more bodies have been recovered on Wednesday, the total death toll climbed to 112, mostly in Sikkim. Several hundreds are still believed to be stranded in the worst affected north districts of Sikkim.

Sikkim has suffered a loss of about Rs 1 lakh crore due to the 6.8 magnitude earthquake, said Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.

Aerial pictures showed that the earthquake ripped apart the landscape in the stretch between Gangtok and Chung Thang, causing cracks, landslides and much destruction. The pictures also showed the destruction at the Teesta Dam site where several people lost their lives.

At Chung Thang in North Sikkim, one of the worst affected sites, a school building one of the worst affected structures. Fortunately, it was a Sunday, so there were no students.

"I had constructed the school by collecting every single penny. Quake has damaged property of around Rs 5 lakh," said the Principal of the school.

Around 80 per cent of the houses at Chung Thang have suffered damages with major and minor cracks. Several people have lost their lives and many families have been displaced.

Relief and rescue operations have picked up speed on Wednesday and with the weather clearing up, authorities hope to get access to stranded areas.

Meanwhile, electricity has been restored in Gangtok and officials say other towns will have full power supply within the next few days. However, restoration of communication lines still remains a big challenge. National Highway 55, which connects Bagdogra to Darjeeling and National Highway 31, that links Gangtok to Bagdogra, have been restored.

The relief and rescue workers have raced against time to open the arterial National Highway 31 that cut off the state since Sunday evening. By Tuesday evening rescue workers were able to clear the landslides both from Bagdogra to Gangtok and Gangtok to Mangan. In the process, though, two Army jawans were killed.

Nine helicopters were mobilised and 10 doctors airlifted to Chungthang in North Sikkim. The Army has also deployed 10 medical units.

The Army says restoring communication lines beyond Mangan will be the next big challenge.

"The biggest challenge right now is to get the lines of communication through, to supply food to needy people. Road beyond Mangan is very bad and it will take more than 20 days," said Lt Gen Bikram Singh.

The enormity of the damage is finally emerging, besides the loss to human lives. Over 15,000 houses were razed to the ground and more than 1 lakh were partially damaged.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office has announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh for the family of the deceased in Sunday's earthquake in West Bengal.

State Disaster Management Secretary Indevar Pandey said on Wednesday that the PMO, in a communique to West Bengal chief secretary, also announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to those seriously injured.

(With additional information from PTI)

Villagers evacuated by helicopter from Chungthang

Karmapa's Rumtek monastery damaged in Earthquake

GANGTOK: Buddhist prayer flags flutter serenely in the mountain breeze and senior monks in deep red robes, their faces creased with age and worry, shuffle around clutching their ubiquitous prayer beads. Inside the half-century-old Rumtek monastery, about 24km from Sikkim's capital, the younger monks are talking animatedly, while some snooze on their beddings strewn on the verandah around the main courtyard. Their belongings are piled alongside.

There are deep cracks in the two buildings that house classrooms of the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute that's part of this monastery, forcing the young monks to abandon their rooms and shift to this verandah. "Our examinations are scheduled for November and we can't study in the open verandah. There's no knowing when our rooms will be repaired," said Chewang Norbu Bhutia, a student.

This young monk adds that while the February 2006 earthquake that struck Sikkim had caused many cracks in their rooms, this time the columns and beams that support the building have cracked. "It's totally unsafe. Even a mild tremor will bring the two buildings down," he said.

40 foreigners taken to safer places

The Centre has constituted an inter-ministerial team to visit Sikkim to take stock of the damage caused by Sunday's devastating earthquake, as hundreds of people, including 40 foreigners, were evacuated and taken to safer places. Union home minister P Chidambaram will visit Sikkim on Thursday to review the rescue ops.

First Visuals: Chungthang Ravaged by Quake

Earthquake damages four heritage monasteries in Sikkim

Four monasteries, including premier Pemayangste and Tashiding, were badly damaged in the Sunday earthquake in Sikkim, official sources said on Tuesday.

Pemayangtse monastery, built in 1705 near tourist town of Pelling in West Sikkim district, was extensively damaged under the impact of the quake, the sources said.

So was the case with Tashiding monastery, founded in 1641 and renovated in 1717 in West Sikkim district during the reign of the third Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal.

Damage was also caused to Enchey monastery, established in 1909 in Gangtok. Ringhem Monastery above Mangan in North Sikkim developed cracks, the sources said.

All four monasteries belong to the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

The government has intimated other religious institutions to inform about their status after the quake so that a comprehensive measure may be taken to repair all of them, the sources said.

EARTHQUAKE IMAGES : Sikkim residents in a state of shock