Monday, May 28, 2007

EARTHQUAKE TRIGGERS LANDSLIP, CLAIMS 2

NAMCHI, May 27: Two labourers were killed following a land slip caused by the mild earthquake that hit Ravangla at 11.15 am on May 26.

The incident took place near Cho-Jo lake at Ravangla where the two victims Prakash Tamang (25) of Maney Bhanzyang and Ritesh Chettri (18) of Kalimpong were working on the foundation construction of one JB Gurung’s building.

Construction work was in full swing at the site when a mild earthquake hit Ravangla and several parts of the state on May 26 morning. Around 12 labourers were working to dig soil around 15 feets down, the unprecedented earthquake prompted the base landmass to fall off over the working labourers.

“When 10 of us managed a close shave, Prakash and Ritesh Chettri got buried under the landmass and succumbed to suffocation”, informed Lakpa Tamang, the father of Prakash Tamang in tearful eyes at Namchi hospital later on the same day.

Soon after the accident, police team of Ravangla, department officials and the local people lend their hands in search and rescue. After an hour of continuous search, the two deceased were recovered and sent to Namchi General Hospital for post mortem. The same day, finishing necessary formalities the bodies were handed over to their family members.

The deceased Prakash Tamang was learnt to have married recently and survived a son and wife. Noteworthy is the frequent earthquakes that hit Ravangla, Borong, Rallong, Jarrong, Beering, Kuszing, Dalep, Dojok-Sangmoo, Legship, Daragoan, Tingmoo area including several other parts of Sikkim – had left the masses in panic lately.

“Me along with my family are staying in tents, out of our house. Other villagers are also doing the same”, informed PB Gurung of Dojok Busty, about 4 kilometers away Ravangla. On May 18, the whole state was rocked by an earthquake, the Richter scale of which was 5.0 with its epicenter reportedly at Kewzing in South Sikkim. On same morning at around 2 am another minor earthquake was felt at Borong area leading to setting ablaze of one Lakpa Bhutia wooden house at Lower Borong from overturning of puja lamp.

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