Quake kills two, injures 20 in Bengal

Siliguri, April 25 (IANS) Two people, including a woman, were killed and at least 20 injured across north Bengal on Saturday following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Nepal, rocked many parts of north and east India.

The two deaths occurred in Siliguri area of the Darjeeling district.

"A 35-year-old man was killed in a wall collapse in Siliguri, while a 45-year-old woman was crushed to death after a portion of a building fell on her in Naxalbari block," said Deputy Commissioner of Police O. G Pal.

Around 20 people with various degrees of injuries have been hospitalized across Siliguri, Darjeeling Kalimpong and Kurseong.

"Several buildings have been affected in the quake, electric and telephones poles have been uprooted, and roads have caved in. But there is no report of any casualty," Darjeeling District Magistrate Punit Yadav said.

Polling was temporarily suspended and many a voters panicked across the 12 municipalities in north Bengal where voting was underway on Saturday.

In Kolkata, the tremors triggered panic as people came out of high-rises housing several offices in the heart of city. The metro services were also disrupted due to the earthquake and stations were evacuated.

Many residents came out of their houses in the city and its suburbs. Cracks were visible in some old houses in Kolkata.

"We are monitoring the situation closely in Bengal especially in Darjeeling and Siliguri. Spoke to senior disaster management team and others," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.