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200,000 students affected by quake

Sheela Bhatt in Bhuj

Nearly 200,000 school children have been affected by the devastating earthquake which struck the Kutch region in Gujarat on January 26.

Speaking to rediff.com, Education Commissioner P K Parmar said, "The figure could be much higher once we get final reports from Bhachau and Anjaar."

Over 990 primary schools have suffered extensive damage in the quake and 4,179 classrooms have been flattened.

"Seventeen teachers have been reported dead and another 30 are badly injured. Of course, figures from Bhachau and Anjaar are yet to be tabulated," Parmar said.

"In Kutch district we are setting up huge tents under which schools will function for a few months," Parmar said. Some 170 such tents have already been erected with the help of UNICEF.

The Gujarat government has also allowed mass promotion of students of Class I to IX on the basis of their half-yearly semester performance.

The board exams of Class X and XII have been postponed to April 3 and students will be allowed to take these exams till June 2001.

The Complete Coverage | List of earthquake sites

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