Hospital staff and bystanders attend to a resident who fainted as a tremor struck at Siliguri Hospital in Siliguri on May 12, 2015. (AFP)
Four earthquakes epicentred in Nepal sent tremors across India on Tuesday afternoon, which were felt all the way to Chennai. 42 people have been killed and nearly 1000 people are injured in Nepal.
Here are 10 developments in the story
An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 first hit Nepal at around 12.35 pm. A few minutes later, a milder quake measuring 6.9 hit the tiny Himalayan nation that is still recovering from a massive quake on April 25 that killed over 8,000 people.
Two smaller quakes of 5.4 and 4.8 magnitude were also recorded within a span of a little over an hour.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck 68 km west of the town of Namche Bazar, close to Mount Everest.
Terrified people were seen rushing outdoors in the Nepal capital Kathmandu, where buildings and homes were destroyed in the previous quake.
The aftershocks will continue for weeks or maybe months, says the Indian Meteorological Department.
In India, the tremors were felt in Delhi, Bihar, Bengal, Gujarat, Sikkim and Himachal. People of Chennai in Tamil Nadu also felt the quake.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a meeting and directed authorities to be on alert for rescue and relief operations.
In Delhi, buildings swayed for more than a minute and people ran into the streets. Metro services were halted for some time. "Please do not panic and maintain calm. Earthquake situation is being closely monitored and officials are already in the field," said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also warned against panic. "Whatever help Nepal needs, we will provide it," he told reporters.
The home minister said the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF, which was deeply involved in the relief and evacuation efforts in earthquake hit Nepal, had been alerted.
Post a comment