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Injured Bhuj residents may be
air lifted to safer areas

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is being apprised of the relief and rehabilitation measures for the quake-affected victims of Gujarat on an hourly basis, Agriculture Secretary Bhaskar Baruah claimed on Saturday.

He told rediff.com that the Crisis Management Group would not hazard a guess on the eventual death toll but 'so far, the Gujarat government has put the toll at 2353 with 15,000 injured.'

In Bhuj alone, the death toll till 1730 hours on Saturday was 1451 and the number of those injured was 10,072, he informed.

He said it was at the prime minister's insistence that Indian Air Force aircraft had been asked to evacuate the injured out of Bhuj town to places like Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Jamnagar.

"Our first priority is extricating those trapped and the dead," said Baruah, who is co-ordinating the relief measures at the Centre for the CMG.

Rs 100 million has been allotted from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, he informed.

The Centre has accepted six sniffer dogs, offered by the Swiss Government, to help extricate the dead and trapped persons in Bhuj and other cities of Gujarat.

He pointed out that Russia, Japan, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland and the US had also offered assistance to the victims.

The government has accepted Germany's offer to provide heavy earth lifting machinery and that capable of cutting and lifting slabs of up to 45 tonnes, he said.

Foreigners attached to their country's relief measures were being given instant visas valid for 15 days without delay, Baruah informed.

Various state governments have pitched in with cash, blankets, food, medical supplies and earth moving and excavating equipment.

While Haryana had sent 10,000 blankets on Saturday, Punjab would send 30,000 on Sunday, he said, adding that provision had also been made by IOC to send 45,000 kilolitres of kerosene to the state.

"The people of Bhuj have themselves come forward with relief measures," the agriculture secretary said.

"Fortunately, the power grid has not collapsed," Baruah said. He pointed out that Gujarat needed 5,900 MW of power of which 5,300 MW is still available.

Fifty specialists from NTPC and GRIDCO have rushed to Bhuj to restore damaged power lines.

Baruah said, "Blankets, generators, potable water, milk powder and food packets have been rushed to the victims."

The Coast Guard is ferrying doctors to the affected areas.

Southern army commander General Vij is in Bhuj along with Defence Minister George Fernandes, to oversee relief operations. Baruah pointed out that Bhuj airport was now operational and is supporting operations.

Roads to Bhuj are now operational.

In another development, 60 doctors from New Delhi have been rushed to Bhuj and while 50 have also rushed from Bombay and efforts are on to send maximum medical supplies and food packages.

Baruah pointed out that people had slept out at night, due to fear, and he clarified that there was no shortage of food.

Hundren generators have been sent from Bombay alone.

Nearly 150 jeeps have also been sent to the quake affected areas. Central government public sector undertakings are also helping out - Hindustan Zinc, IFFCO and CRIBHCO are taking care of sending food supplies.

Paramilitary forces like the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, CISF and Rapid Action Force have been rushed to the affected areas.

The Complete Coverage

EXTERNAL LINKS
The RD Killer Quake of Jan 26, 2001: Technical details
All about earthquakes in India and their impact
India Meteorological Department's earthquake reports
Disaster relief set-up in India
Major earthquakes across the world in recent times
A post-quake volunteer's unusual tryst with the departed
Earthquake News: Web site offering comprehensive news, information and features
Earthquake site map

USGS: Earthquake Hazards Program

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