A powerful earthquake, epicentred in Nepal, today shook northern and eastern parts of India, killing 34 people and injuring about 100 others as houses and buildings collapsed or were damaged.
States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were the worst affected parts of India and massive rescue and relief operations were initiated on war-footing basis with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself monitoring the situation and issuing directives.
Union Home Secretary L C Goyal told a press conference here in the evening that 34 people had died due to earthquake in various parts of the country.
Of them, 23 died in Bihar, eight in Uttar Pradesh and three in West Bengal, he said.
Nearly 100 people were injured in these states.
The Prime Minister, who took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting here, directed immediate dispatch of rescue and relief teams, including medical staff, to the affected areas.
He also spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The central government's Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, is holding regular meetings to keep a watch on the situation.
Goyal said five teams of National Disaster Response Force, comprising 45 personnel each, were dispatched to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for conducting rescue and relief operations.
"Our focus is on rescue operations. The damage assessment will follow in some time," he said.
