Gangtok, February 14
At least two Army personnel were killed and two civilians, including a girl injured and scores of important structures and buildings
damaged when an earthquake rocked Sikkim today.
State Chief Secretary N B Chingappa told reporters that two Army personnel at Sherathang Army camp at an altitude of 12000 feet in east Sikkim were killed when they were hit by rolling boulders. Details were awaited as communication went out of order following the natural calamity.
A girl and a man were injured near here.
The quake of 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale was felt at 0625 hours making people panicky in Sikkim and neighbouring hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and many parts of northern districts of West Bengal.
Reports reaching Gagntok said the buildings of Raj Bhavan, Headquarters of Sikkim Police, Enchey monastery, State Secretariat, SBI office at Zero point and many others at Rangpo and Bardan in East Siikim were damaged. Many important roads linking Gangtok were also damaged, the reports said.
DIG (Range) A Sachdeva after
visiting many areas of east Sikkim said most of the damage was reported from east Sikkim.
Sikkim Governor V Rama Rao was not at his residence when the quake struck this morning. He was in his summer residence at Rangpo.
The historic ground floor and first floor of Raj Bhavan situated at about 7000 feet were damaged, Mr Sachdeva said.
Reports of the earthquake at Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalingpong in neighbouring West Bengal were also received. A Siliguri report said the hill sub-divisions were rocked this morning sending the people out of home in panic this morning. There was, however, no report of any casualty.
Minor tremors were also felt in Siliguri, Cooch Behar and Maldah regions of north Bengal.
