KATHMANDU, Sept 20: Reports of massive structural damage and more deaths connected to Sunday´s quake poured in on Monday pushing the death toll to nine, though the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) put the official toll at just six, terming the other reported deaths as unrelated to the quake.
Apart from three deaths in Kathmandu and two in Dharan of Sunsari district reported Sunday, there are reports of one death in Sankhuwasabha, one in Dhankuta, one in Madhyapur Thimi and one in Sunsari. [break]
According to reports, five-year-old Pradip Rai died in Sankhusabha after the wall of his house at Num VDC-1 collapsed on him following Sunday´s quake. The quake measured 6.8 on Richter scale and had its epicenter in the border of Taplejung district and Indian state of Sikkim. Rai´s mother and elder brother managed to escape.
In Dhankuta, Madhu Karki, 40, is believed to have died from the earthquake, while Lila Poudel, 65 of Gatthaghar, Madhyapur Thimi died due to a heart attack immediately after the earthquake. Similarly, one Pavitra Devi Mandal of Sunsari is also reported to have died in the earthquake. But NEOC claimed the three deaths were not related to the Sunday earthquake.
The NEOC, which is under the home minsitry, said 24 persons have been seriously injured including 14 in Kathmandu district, five in Jhapa, three in Saptari and one each in Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchowk.
Assistant sub-inspector of the Armed Police Force at the NEOC Keshav Thapa said 77 injured persons, including 50 in Kathmandu, 12 in Sankhuwasabha and six in Jhapa, have returned home after receiving treatment.
Hundreds of houses damaged
The NOEC revealed 168 houses were totally destroyed by the quake with 79 in Panchthar, 50 in Taplejung 23 in Dhankuta, 15 in Bhojpur and one in Ilam. It also stated minor damages have been reported in 146 houses with 26 in Siraha, 21 in Panchthar, and 14 each in Bhaktapur, Ramechhap and Sankhuwasabha.
Similarly the Koshi Highway was obstructed by landslides at Bhedetar VDC-3, Bhojpure Golai, according to our Dhankuta correspondent Siddharaj Rai.
Armed Police Force deputy superintendent Tulsi Khatri said the road looks set to be obstructed for the next few days as around 100 meters of road has been destroyed at two places and the large boulders on the road can only be removed after being blasted into pieces.
Nepal Police, APF and Nepal Army have managed to open a small passage for passengers to walk through the destroyed stretch. Rai further reports that 76 houses suffered damages in Tehrathum district and 30 in Bhojpur.
Likewise Roshan Sanwa reports from Ilam that around 600 families in Illam and Pancthar districts have been rendered homeless by the quake. District Education Office, Ilam said over 50 schools suffered damage and classes in many schools have been halted due to the destruction.
“We are receiving information that many schools have halted classes after destruction of school buildings,” District Education Officer Mahendra Prasad Poudel said.
Similarly, schools remained closed after damage in school building in Taplejung district, according to our correspondent Khagendra Adhikari. The tourist sector of Ghunsha has been the hardest hit by quake with all 60 houses suffering damage.
Power supply and telephone connection to Ghunsha remains disrupted and most of the locals are staying in open grounds, according to the manager of the Kanchanjungha Conservation Region Project, Sujit Kumar Shrestha.
Govt announces relief for quake victims
The government has announced a relief package for the families of those killed and injured in the 6.8 magnitude-quake that jolted much of the country, especially eastern Nepal, on Sunday evening.
A meeting of Central Natural Disaster Relief Committee (CNDRC) presided by home minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar on Monday decided to direct all district-level natural disaster rescue committees to provide Rs 25,000 to the families of those who died in the earthquake as an immediate relief.
Similarly, the CNDRC, as per Prime Minister´s instruction, decided to urge Prime Minister Natural Disaster Rescue Fund to provide Rs 100,000 each to the families of the deceased. A meeting of the CNDRC also decided to provide free of cost treatment to all those injured in the earthquake.
The CNDRC also asked district-level committees to furnish the details of damages caused by the quake in three days.
Family seeks compensation from British Embassy
The relatives of Maya Shrestha, whose husband Sajan and daughter Anisha of Ghurmichaur-6, Gorkha, died after a compound wall of the British Embassy in Lainchaur collapsed on them following Sunday´s quake, approached the British Embassy seeking compensation on Monday.
"Maya´s elder brothers Indra Bahadur and Lila Man were made to wait for the whole day, and then returned," said Shanker Shrestha, Sajan´s brother-in-law. "Embassy officials had wanted to meet members of the bereaved family. The two reached the embassy at 9 am, but were asked to come again at noon. They were then asked to reach the embassy at 3 pm, and eventually asked to meet embassy officials at 9 am Tuesday," Shanker said.
Maya, who is now left with two daughters, works as a house maid. Sajan, her husband, worked as a security guard with DANIDA. Sajan and his daughter were riding a scooter (Ba 9 Pa 2646) when they were crushed by the wall. Another person, Bir Bahadur Majhi, 19, was also crushed to death by the wall.
The British Embassy, in a statement, deeply regretted the deaths and injuries to others as a result of the collapse.
"The ambassador offered his condolences to the local community on Sunday evening and met with relatives of the victims on Monday morning," the statement issued by the embassy said. "The embassy will continue to do everything possible to help the local community and the government of Nepal."
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