Kerala Monitor

Hundreds die as massive quake hits Gujarat, More than 700 killed, toll expected to cross 1500

New Delhi: January 26: A massive earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastated large parts Gujarat Friday morning killing upto 700 people and causing severe destruction. According to official sources, the toll could cross 1,000. This is believed to the most powerful quake to hit India in the last five decades. Rescuers are struggling to retrieve large number of people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings in Ahmedabad and other parts of Western Indian.

 According to Union Home Minister L K Advani, who reached the state from Delhi, said that the death toll could be 1,000 or more. According to an official report, observatories in US, France and China measured the magnitude of the earthquake between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale.  

   The earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter Scale struck at 8.46 A.M. today with epicentre 20 km North East of Bhuj.    The Director General of the India Meteorological Department, Dr. R.R. Kelkar said that the situation is being monitored with great difficulty due to disruption of communication links with the affected areas. A team of officers from the Department is being rushed to the area for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage. He said a number of after-shocks have already been recorded.

    This is the second major earthquake in the region since 1956 when it recorded 7.0 on the Richter Scale. A senior seismologist, Dr. A.K. Shukla said that there have been 80 to 85 earthquakes of various intensity recorded since 1956 in the Rann of Kutch which falls under seismic zone-5 category, meaning that it is a highly earthquake prone area. The biggest ever quake recorded was in the region in 1819 which measured 8.0 on the Richter Scale. Experts say that there is no scientific technique available anywhere in the world to predict earthquake. Only forewarning about after-shocks can be done so as to facilitate relief measures.

Early reports said that there were 267 deaths In Ahmedabad and its surrounding areas but the damage also severe in Bhuj, Jamnagar and Surat. Unofficial reports estimated the toll at 1500 apprehending over 600 deaths solely in Bhuj-- the epicentre of the quake. The quake triggered tremors which were felt all over the country and in neighbouring Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.  The deaths were caused in building collapse that spread panic scurrying people out of their homes. The quake caused disruption of roads and power and communication lines and damage to railway network. Army and paralmilitary personnel joined local authorities in rescue and relief operations. The earth quake also caused damage to about 30 railway stations across Gujarat. Medical teams have been rushed from neighbouring states, including Rajasthan.

In New Delhi, where the tremors were felt about an hour before the Republic Day parade was to begin on Rajpath, Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the quantum of help to Gujarat.   The Prime Minister appealed to the nation to contribute generously for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people. Most of the victims were children and women who were inside their houses during the morning hours when the quake struck.  With fear stalking this city about after-shocks, many residents of multi-storied buildings abandoned their flats to stay in the open. There was heavy and steady flow of injured to hospitals in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and several other parts of the state. Authorities also asked residents of buildings rendered unsafe to evacuate to safer places.  

 Dead bodies drenched in blood were being stacked up, even as more continued to pour amidst heart rending cries of relatives at the hospitals in the city, witness to a devastating earthquake Friday morning  with hundreds dead and many seriously injured, confusion  prevailed in the city hospitals. but hospital administrations moved swiftly to try and cope with the daunting situation. In some hospitals the injured could not be immediately treated for paucity of facilities and staff. several victims, most of them women and children, with their skulls broken, limbs and back badly bruised, awaited immediate attention at the same time.     heart-rending cries touched a crescendo at the local hospital in the city where over 200 injured were rushed for treatment. The grim situation made the hospital administration to go in for ingenuity which it did with elan. all the wards of the hospital were converted into one so that the victims could be immediately attended to   bodies of the dead were kept outside the verandah near the out patient department of the hospital. 

Of those brought to the hospital, 70 died even before they could be treated. the scenes at the other five hospitals in the city could not have been any different. People were still in their bed, when the quake jostled them out of it. men, women with children in arms and some tailing them, rushed down staircases of multi-storied buildings with clanging noises of utensils and other belongings chasing them down.  Multi-storied buildings in Shahpur, Naranpura, Bopal, Ghatlodia, Maninagar, Ranip and other areas in the city just  came tumbling down or were ripped part. quite a few buildings developed cracks and heaps of plaster were found piled up. People rushed out of their houses with whatever they could lay their hands on. a sea of panicking humanity crowded the streets as they tried to flee to safety on cars, scooters and cycles. But the escape route looked sealed. such was the mad rush of the people to get away that all the six bridges over the river Sabarmati were blocked for sometime.   

 The Minister for Human Resource Development and Science and Technology, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi has expressed grief at the loss of life and property in the earthquake in Gujarat. In a message, he conveyed his heart-felt sympathies to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy relief to the affected. Describing it as a calamity of massive magnitude, Dr. Joshi said that with combined efforts of all, we shall be able to provide succour to the affected.

 (c) Keralamonitor.com

Vajpayee Asks for aid in relief operations

New Delhi, Jan 26 Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Friday appealed to the people and charitable and voluntary organisations to help his government in rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations in Gujarat and other quake-hit areas within the country on a war footing. In a message condoling the loss of lives in the disaster, Vajpayee said i am deeply pained and distressed to know about the devastating earthquake that rocked Gujarat this morning, causing loss of several hundred lives and extensive damage to private and public property.The earthquake has also caused destruction in some other states, he said.  

(Full Text of Prime Minister's Message is given below)

TEAM OF DOCTORS DESPATCHED TO GUJARAT

NEW DELHI: The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. C.P. Thakur held a high-level meeting of officials to take stock of the emergency medical needs caused by the earthquake in Gujarat. He ordered immediate despatch of a ten-member team of doctors, mainly orthopaedicians under the leadership of Dr. Salhan. The team is carrying medicines worth 10 lakh rupees. Dr. Thakur is leading a team of medical experts at 12.30 P.M. tomorrow by a special relief plane accompanied by Union Health Secretary, Shri Javed Choudhary. Red-cross officials have been alerted to meet the emergency blood requirement in the earthquake affected areas.

PRIME MINISTER’S CONDOLENCE MESSAGE FOR THE BEREAVED FAMILIES OF THE GUJARAT QUAKE-HIT VICTIMS

          "I am deeply pained and distressed to know about the devastating earthquake that rocked Gujarat this morning, causing the loss of several hundred lives and extensive damage to private and public property. The earthquake has also caused destruction in some other States.

    I join all my countrymen in conveying our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressing our solidarity with the suffering people in all the earthquake-hit areas. As has been our proud tradition in all such times of natural calamity, it is the duty of one and all to come to the aid of our brethren in Gujarat and other quake-affected areas.

    I urge all the concerned agencies of the Central and State Government to begin rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations on a war footing. I also appeal to ordinary citizens, charitable institutions and voluntary organisations to coordinate with government agencies in dealing with this challenge effectively.."

 VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TO THE QUAKE-HIT PEOPLE OF GUJARAT

 "I am shocked and deeply anguished at the extensive loss of life and property, at several places in Gujarat, by the high-intensity earthquake today.  I send my heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved families. I pray for the early and complete recovery of those injured in the quake.

    I am sure that the government and the people will spare no efforts to provide relief and succour to those affected by this unexpected calamity which hit us when the nation was celebrating the Republic Day. With our effort, patience and calm we shall surely overcome the impact of this untimely disaster."