Mamata visits earthquake hit Sikkim ,Meets Pawan Chamling

Siliguri /Gangtok, September 20 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited Sikkim after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the region. Banerjee, before leaving for Sikkim, spoke to mediapersons in Siliguri, elaborating on the aid given to the quake victims. The forceful earthquake has so far claimed over 70 lives across three countries India, Nepal and China, out of which over 50 people have died in India alone, most of them in Sikkim. Among the most difficult of the rescue operation is to re open National Highway 31 A which connects Sikkim to the rest of the country.


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met her Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered him all assistance to meet the situation arising out of Sunday's quake.
"Sikkim is our neighbouring state and we stand by the people of Sikkim at this hour of crisis with all sorts of assistance to help them tide over the situation," Banerjee told reporters after meeting Chamling at NHPC guest house in Gangtok.

Banerjee earlier went around some of the the tremor affected villages and talked to doctors and nurses in two hospitals where the injured were receiving treatment.Expressing concern over the loss of several lives in the state due to the earthquake, she said while the Centre was extending all help, "We in West Bengal have already given some relief materials and medicines and are ready to provide more."

"What is needed is joint effort to overcome the crisis," she added