Quake kills eight in UP

Lucknow, April 25 (IANS) Eight people were killed and many others injured as a massive earthquake that hit Nepal also jolted many parts of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, officials said.

Three people were killed in Barabanki, two each in Gorakhpur and Kanpur rural, and one in Sant Kabir Nagar.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia of Rs.5 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs.20,000 each to the injured.

Many buildings were damaged and cracks developed in some old buildings at some places.

Yadav apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the situation and informed him that all district magistrates and state machinery were on standby for any eventuality.

Owing to the extensive damage in Nepal, many flights headed to Kathmandu were diverted to the Lucknow airport and the Babatpur airport in Varanasi.

Modi, who is the Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, spoke to union minister Kalraj Mishra who is on an official tour to the holy city.

Mishra denied a report that a stampede had taken place in Varanasi.

He, however, said many houses and buildings in the temple town developed cracks.

Telecommunications and internet services were also affected in the wake of the earthquake which snapped power lines in some places.