West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today visited people in north Bengal affected by yesterday's massive earthquake and said that a rescue team is also being rushed to Nepal.
Three people died in the 7.9 magnitude quake, whose epicentre was in Nepal's Pokhara, in Jalpaiguri, Naxalbari and Siliguri as 55 others were injured. The injured were admitted to the government hospital in Siliguri.
Banerjee, who arrived at Bagdogra airport this afternoon to assess first hand the damage caused by the powerful temblor in north Bengal, told reporters that the damage and devastation were "very sad and unfortunate".
Expressing her solidarity with the quake-hit in Nepal, Banerjee said, "The state government has so far received 31 requests from Bengalis stuck in the Himalayan kingdom and we are initiating efforts to bring them back."
Banerjee visited the residence of Rukban Khatun, one of the three quake victims in Naxalbari in Darjeeling district, and consoled the bereaved family members.
"The accompanying principal secretary to the state Disaster Management Department, Suresh Kumar, will brief you about the financial help of the state government for the quake victims, their next of kin and the quake-affected," she told the media.
Kumar said the state would give Rs 4 lakh each as compensation to the next of kin of the dead, Rs 2 lakh each to the seriously injured, Rs 3,200 each for repair of damaged mud houses, Rs 95,000 each for collapsed houses, Rs 1.10 lakh each for collapsed pucca houses and Rs 1,200 each for cremation and those having suffered fracture on hand/foot.
Banerjee, who also visited the injured at the Siliguri Hospital, accompanied by North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Dev, will meet six District Magistrates this evening.
Meanwhile, with another tremor rocking the region this afternoon, residents of several highrises here spent the time in the open refusing to enter their apartments.
North Bengal has been worst affected by yesterday's earthquake accounting for three deaths in Jalpaiguri, Naxalbari and Siliguri. Fifty-five injured have been admitted to the government hospital in Siliguri.
Earlier, Mamata said at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata on way to north Bengal that the Nepal government had sought assistance from the West Bengal government and that the government was rushing a rescue team there.
North Bengal bore the brunt of the massive earthquake with epicentre in Nepal accounting for three deaths in Jalpaiguri, Naxalbari and Siliguri. Fifty-five persons were also injured, all of whom were admitted to the government hospital in Siliguri, Banerjee said.
All 15 mountaineers from the state who were on Mount Everest were safe, she said before boarding the flight to Bagdogra.
