INDIA NEWS

HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA, LONDON

PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 28, 2001

UPDATE ON GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE TRAGEDY

• The earthquake, which struck parts of India on Friday, with its epicentre in Gujarat, has resulted in a human tragedy on an unprecedented scale.  The earthquake had the highest recorded magnitude in the last 50 years and at least 257 after-shocks had been recorded till noon on Sunday. Some of the tremors felt in Ahmedabad and  Rann of Kutch early this morning measured upto 5.9 on  the Richter scale.
  
• Though the death toll is officially put at around 10,000 at the current time, it could go up to twice that number. Over 30,000 people are seriously injured, with nearly 30,000 in Bhuj alone.
  
• Apart from Bhuj, where nearly 90 per cent of the buildings came crashing down, there are reports that several towns like Rapar, Anjar, Bachhau and scores of villages have been flattened. There is not a single structure standing in some of these areas, an aerial survey  has found. The damage caused by the quake is likely to cross the Rs. 50 billion mark.
  
• As our President and Prime Minister have said, we are meeting this emergency on a war footing.  The entire country has galvanised into action to help with the relief and rehabilitation effort.
   
• The Army, Navy, Air Force, police and para-military forces, the civilian administration, the NGOs and Indians from all walks of life have rallied to assist in the relief work.

Specific measures undertaken

• India’s biggest-ever disaster relief operations are currently underway in Gujarat. The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Keshubhai Patel; India’s Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani; and Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes are closely coordinating arrangements for relief and rescue.  The Crisis Management Group under the Cabinet Secretary is constantly assessing the situation in Gujarat.
  

• Government have despatched 10,000 tonnes of foodgrains, 10,000 tents and 100,000 blankets to the disaster-hit regions.  Medicines worth Rs. 1 million have been sanctioned.  Ex-gratia payments have been announced for all victims and survivors of the earthquake.
  

• The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has decided to release 100,000 tonnes of wheat for distribution among quake-hit families. The Central Government has also issued instructions to make advance release of 10,000 tonnes of levy sugar to Gujarat.
  

• Within the first 24 hours of the quake, giant heavy engineering equipment, including giant cranes, generator sets, food and potable water, blankets and medical experts were air-lifted to the disaster-hit sites. Particular attention is being paid to rescue people trapped in houses and buildings following the quake.
  

• Specialised medical teams including orthopaedics and surgeons have been rushed to the area.  These teams are equipped with mobile operation theatre facilities.
  

• Over 4,700 Army personnel are engaged in relief and rescue operations.  The Army cancelled an on-going annual winter training exercise along the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan and diverted all 5 Infantary battalions for relief measures.  Fully equipped Army field ambulance units are already helping out. Army personnel have began erecting 10 townships for accommodating people in Bhuj, Ahmedabad and other affected areas who had to spend the Saturday night in the open.
  

• The Indian Air Force has activated four of its operational commands and put all IAF helicopters on stand-by.  Medium lift Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopter are being flown to airdrop food and relief material to far-flung areas, which have no access, by road or rail. Fifteen medium lift Mi-17/Mi-8 and 02 heavy lift Mi-26 helicopters are carrying out relief operations from dawn to dusk. The IAF’s MI-26 helicopters have flown more than 50 sorties to make practically  an air-bridge to the quake-devastated areas which had been cut off from the rest of the country.
  

• The Navy has deployed medical teams and diverted three ships to the quake-affected region.  The Vessels are equipped with helicopters to assist the Gujarat government in dropping food and other relief material.  The Navy, which dispatched three ships on Friday, is also dispatching INS Ganga, a frigate, loaded with  communication equipment, food, rations and blankets for  Kandla from where about five Navy helicopters will supply them to the affected areas.
  

• To restore telecommunications, a 1,000 line C-DOT exchange has been made operational in Bhuj, the epicentre of the quake.  In addition, satellite phones and high frequency communication equipment has been rushed to the region.
  

• The power supply in the region which had come down to 1000 MW from the regular consumption of 6,000 MW has already been restored to the extent of 3,000 MW i.e. 50%.  Portable generator sets are being flown to the affected areas.
  

• The Railways have decided to run special trains to Ahmedabad from Delhi, Chennai, Kolkatta, Mumbai and Bangalore to take the relatives of quake-hit people to Gujarat.  Passengers can travel in these trains free-of-cost.  Indian Airlines and Alliance Air have offered to carry free of cost all relief material to the earthquake-hit people of Gujarat besides operating additional flights to the state.
  

• The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund is accepting voluntary donations from individuals and organisations wishing to contribute to the relief effort.  Rs 100 million have already been allotted from the Fund to Gujarat India’s public sector oil companies have announced a contribution of Rs. 400 million to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the quake-hit areas.

 International Response

• Government are extremely gratified that the international community has responded with generous offers of assistance.

• The Government’s priority is for items required for search and rescue operations such as sniffer dogs, electronic equipment for searching for bodies and cutting concrete slabs, communication equipment as also mobile surgical operations theaters and other medical hardware.  Offers for the supply of clothes and tents are being accepted if they can be airlifted to Ahmedabad.  Medical and rescue teams are welcome provided they come in their own aircraft.

• The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to offer assistance for relief work.  The Government has pledged  £ 3 million in aid for victims of the earthquake.  An RAF aircraft with 69 personnel  and specialised equipment for thermal imaging and cutting and detecting vibrations, together with a sniffer dog has already reached Gujarat.

• The United Nations have despatched a 5-member Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team to India.
• Russia has despatched an IL-76 transport plane with 65 rescue workers, trained dogs and equipment.
• The European Union is sending a team of experts in humanitarian aid to India.
• President Bush of the United States has said that the US is willing to provide all assistance needed and desired by the Indian Government.
• Norway has said it would extend emergency aid worth $1.1 million.
• Japan has offered to send a 12-member rescue team.
• Switzerland has sent in a 45-members experts team including 9 sniffer dogs to help in extricating trapped bodies and rescuing victims from the debris.
• Germany is rushing critical earth-moving equipment to the affected areas which are capable of lifting 40 tonnes of concrete slabs in one go.
• Several international charities such as OXFAM, International Red Cross, Save the Children etc have also sent in rescue workers and funds.  The ICRC has already despatched a mobile surgical hospital to treat the victims.
• Kuwait, Turkey, Holland and several other countries have also pledged assistance.
• The Indian community in United Kingdom and other countries has responded generously and is actively mobilising relief supplies for the victims.

 A.        In India

(i)                 Gujarat

 (ii)               New Delhi

 B.        In the United Kingdom

(i)         High Commission of India, London

            * The Visa Section of the High Commission will be operational round the clock.

 (iii)             Consulate General of India, Birmingham

Press Release No. 9/2001

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