Mirik is no stranger to earthquakes, but three tremors in as many days has shaken up the sleepy hill town like never before. Since the Nepal quake that struck on Saturday afternoon, Mirik has been rocked routinely once every day. The last one on Monday evening turned out to be the most severe, making houses and buildings tremble more vigorously.
Thousands in the town have been sleeping in tents at night, out in the open, fearing a repeat of the tremor. Rumours of an impending disaster are flying around even as tourists keep streaming out of hotels and lodges.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mirik looked like a ghost town. Most hotels have either been emptied or shut down. Shops opened for a few hours in the afternoon, but most downed shutters by early evening. Residents have been keeping indoors till evening and spending the nights out in the open. SSB forces are ready to swing into action if a calamity strikes.
Rakesh Golay, an ex-armyman, has spent the last three nights in an open area adjacent to his house atop a picturesque hill at Nigalay, 5km from Mirik town. His two children, wife and brother jostle under a tarpaulin sheet every night. Golay's neighbor Biren Pradhan hasn't slept since Saturday.
Every night he keeps vigil along with a band of youngsters. "Earthquakes can't be predicted. So, the only way is to warn people as fast as we can. But it's extremely tiring and I feel exhausted now after spending sleepless nights," he said. At Okayti Tea Estate, labourers are yet to get over the shock of Monday's tremor. Sangita Sewa, an estate worker, was doing her household chores when she heard a thunderous clatter around 5.30pm. Even before she could look out of her kitchen window, the wall started giving way. "The bricks tumbled out of the wall as if it had been rammed. I cowered under a table and it blew over in a few seconds. The tremors also left numerous cracks all over the house," said Sangita.
The district administration hasn't yet been able to reach out to the quake affected zones around Mirik. Some panchayat representatives have only done a sketchy survey of the damage, said villagers. But no real help has reached any village. Hundreds don't have tarpaulin sheets to sleep under.
SSB commandant Manoj Kumar, who is leading a team engaged in area assessment, said he had never seen such widespread panic in the hills. "Aftershocks are rarely so severe! But since you can't predict them, we must keep fingers crossed," he said.
News Via TOI
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| Damages From Mirik |
On Tuesday afternoon, Mirik looked like a ghost town. Most hotels have either been emptied or shut down. Shops opened for a few hours in the afternoon, but most downed shutters by early evening. Residents have been keeping indoors till evening and spending the nights out in the open. SSB forces are ready to swing into action if a calamity strikes.
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| Scared of aftershocks,People in Mirik huddle together outside in open area after the recent earthquake (5.1m),tremor created panic and there is report of someone being rushed to hospital. The casualties of house cracked in several areas have been reported so far. |
Every night he keeps vigil along with a band of youngsters. "Earthquakes can't be predicted. So, the only way is to warn people as fast as we can. But it's extremely tiring and I feel exhausted now after spending sleepless nights," he said. At Okayti Tea Estate, labourers are yet to get over the shock of Monday's tremor. Sangita Sewa, an estate worker, was doing her household chores when she heard a thunderous clatter around 5.30pm. Even before she could look out of her kitchen window, the wall started giving way. "The bricks tumbled out of the wall as if it had been rammed. I cowered under a table and it blew over in a few seconds. The tremors also left numerous cracks all over the house," said Sangita.
The district administration hasn't yet been able to reach out to the quake affected zones around Mirik. Some panchayat representatives have only done a sketchy survey of the damage, said villagers. But no real help has reached any village. Hundreds don't have tarpaulin sheets to sleep under.
SSB commandant Manoj Kumar, who is leading a team engaged in area assessment, said he had never seen such widespread panic in the hills. "Aftershocks are rarely so severe! But since you can't predict them, we must keep fingers crossed," he said.
News Via TOI
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