7 killed in East, 19 houses washed away and pharmaceutical companies shut down

The shell of a kutcha house demolished by the quake in Chandmari above Gangtok

GANGTOK, 19 Sept: East Sikkim was badly affected by the intense earthquake which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. A total of 7 persons were reported killed, by the latest figures available. Apart from the dead more than a hundred were reported injured, at least 3 buildings collapsed in various places and another 19 houses washed away by the raging waters of the Yali Chu.
Of the killed 2 were killed on the JN Road when boulders and slides crashed into the vehicles they were travelling in. One person was killed at Rangpo and one each again at Singtam, Sang and Makha. While these occurred the night of the earthquake itself one person succumbed late in the evening today at the STNM hospital. Lobsang Zangpa, 32 of Dharamsala and who was presently a teacher at Thumbi Sambhota, reportedly succumbed to injuries today at the STNM hospital. As soon as the earthquake struck the power supply was cut off and scores of people ran out of their houses in panic which was exacerbated by the total darkness which lasted throughout the night and well into the next day.

Within the first two hours of the tremor around 26 patients had been admitted at the emergency ward of Manipal hospital and around 40 to 50 at the STNM hospital. This figure jumped up to 53 for Manipal and 106 for STNM hospital by this evening. Only one casualty was reported from STNM and as far as Manipal is concerned two patients were reportedly seriously injuried. Deputy MS, Dr. Chakraborty informed that the doctors were contemplating referring them to Siliguri while another 7 were reported to be seriously injured; all others were in stable condition.  All available doctors were deployed in both the hospitals and in STNM with the increasing number of patients the corridors were also crammed for space. Interestingly the Fire department had got a call from Manipal hospital that a fire had occurred but when the fire brigade reached there it emerged that there was actually no fire. Most patients had also come out of the hospital.
Near Vajra one person was trapped in a private vehicle after a huge boulder crashed into it triggered by the earthquake. It took more than two hours for personnel from the civil defence, police and the fire department to clear the trapped person as well as reopen the route to north Sikkim.
At Nandok the raging waters of the Lagyap khola washed away 19 houses after the water conductor was left open by the Power personnel deployed there. The people of the area today were very agitated by this and showed their indignation by puncturing the tyres of vehicles of officials of the Power Department who arrived there. Due to the waters the slush was waist high making it very difficult for people to move about. However there was no report of casualties as the residents of these houses had abandoned their houses for safer locations soon after the earthquake.
There were also reports of some buildings collapsing apart from scores of others suffering damages. At Lumsey the building of Raju Chettri collapsed while at Chongay further north the under construction building of Mohan Chettri collapsed under the strong vibrations of the 6.9 earthquake. Mohan Chettri informed that he has suffered losses to the extent of Rs. 60 lakhs. At Singtam a house sunk and is on the verge of total collapse thus endangering nearby houses. These have been cordoned off by the Singtam police. The highway too was strewn with minor slides and slush and the BRO has done a commendable job in clearing the highway which was completed by 1 pm today.
Apart from the injuries and damages the industries and companies along the Ranipool to Singtam stretch were also affected. Most of the pharmaceutical companies here have shut down and, as per reports, will remain shut for the next few days. Many have developed cracks in their structures and most surprisingly labourers and workers engaged in these companies could be seen along the highway heading for home. While many are scared it is also reported that the companies are scheduled to reopen once the insurance companies have completed their assessment of the properties.