Mamata visits quake-affected, says resuce team on way to Nepal

Siliguri: 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 country 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.

A compensation of Rs 4 lakh each as compensation to the next of kin of the dead, and Rs 2 lakh each to the seriously injured was announced.

Banerjee, also visited the injured at the Siliguri Hospital.

Meanwhile, with another tremor rocking the region this afternoon, residents of several high rises here spent the time in the open refusing to enter their apartments.

Earlier, Mamata said that the Nepal government had sought assistance from the West Bengal government and that the government was rushing a rescue team there.

All 15 mountaineers from the state who were on Mount Everest were safe, she said before boarding the flight to Bagdogra.