50 hurt in fresh quake

CHAMOLI, March 31 (PTI) — At least 50 persons were injured in Chamoli district today as a fresh tremor hit the area still recovering from Monday’s devastating earthquake that killed more than 100 and left over 300 injured.

The tremor, measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre between Rudranath and Gopeshwar, struck at 2.32 a.m. and lasted a few seconds.

The injured were admitted to a makeshift hospital of the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which along with the Army and other paramilitary forces was engaged in relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake, ITBP sources said.

There were also reports of people being injured in today’s tremor in Rudraprayag district, but details of the extent of damage and casualty were yet to be received.

According to preliminary reports some of the houses that developed cracks in the first quake had been badly damaged in the fresh quake.

In the Mandal valley, the Army speeded up relief work in 30-35 villages currently cut off from the rest of Chamoli district.

The paramilitary forces, the Red Cross Society and the Army were still trying to reach the distant areas which had so far remained inaccessible to government officials engaged in relief work as also the media.

A severe water crisis gripped Gopeshwar, Chamoli and Rudraparyag towns even as the ITBP and the Army were making all out efforts to bring relief to the affected.

A central team, comprising Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission K.C. Pant and Union Agriculture Minister Sompal, reached Chamoli today.

A team of the Army Signal Corps was trying to restore the communication network. Hotlines had already been laid linking Chamoli to Joshimath and Kausani to Bareilly.

Even three days after the devastating earthquake, relief was yet to reach certain parts of Chamoli district.

A villager from Lassi, 8 km from Chamoli, said even relief efforts by voluntary agencies including the Red Cross and World Vision India had remained confined so far to Chamoli town and the nearby areas.

Relief was yet to reach the villages of Sendurugre, Tirisitut, Pagna, Turmi, Lassi, Mojoti and Harmonay, Mr Balwant Singh, Gram Pradhan of Lassi, said.

Army teams were also airdropping relief material in distant and inaccessible villages, Col Prakash Tiwari of Garhwal Scouts said.

Nearly 1280 kg of food items, including rice, atta and dal, had been airdropped in the areas where relief could not be reached by other means, he said.

ITBP director General-Gautam Kaul said the force was considering airlifting 1000 more tents to the remote areas.

Meanwhile, survivors were facing danger from leopards, who, frightened out of forests by crashing boulders, had been sighted not far from the emergency relief camps. A girl was killed by a leopard near Pipal koti township, 15 km from Chamoli, residents said.

Twentyone teams, comprising the itbp, the Service Selection Board (SSP) and Army personnel had been despatched to the worst-hit areas of Chamoli district.

The teams under the supervision of Col Tiwari would conduct a survey. They would made an on-the-spot assessment of the damage and provide Rs 1000 each as immediate relief for damaged houses and 10 kg of rice per family, Mr R.S. Singh, Chief Development Officer of Chamoli said.

The teams in consultation with village pradhans and people’s representatives would identify victims under various categories for providing relief.

However, Mr Dheeraj Singh, president of the Students Union of PG College at Gopeshwar, said no government official had visited the villages of Devar Kadora, Roli, Ghinan, Nail, Math, and Mallana Khor even three days after the tragedy. He said, he and other local students had formed teams to help arrange relief.

Officials said that apart from four tankers, an Army water pump had been installed at Devar, 7 km from Gopeshwar, which could pump 2000 litres in 10 minutes.