ITBP rescues 15 foreigners, 150 locals in quake-hit N Sikkim

GANGTOK: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police ( ITBP) tonight rescued 15 foreign tourists and 150 villagers from various parts of north Sikkim which was badly affected in this evening's earthquake.

The rescued have been moved to the ITBP battalion's headquarter in Mangan, about 20 km from Gangtok, official sources said.

Around 400 ITBP personnel and four medical teams at Pegong are carrying search and rescue operations, while 300 BSF personnel each from Siliguri and Guwahati along with doctors and para-medical staff have been rushed to affected areas.

Official sources said the search and rescue operations are getting hampered because there is no electricity in the area.

The force's also lost two of its buildings. "Two buildings have collapsed though there has been no casualty. The officers mess too has been hit. The road outside the battalion headquarters has cracked. We have launched search and rescue operations," they said.

The quake measuring 6.8 on Richter Scale with its epicentre on the Sikkim-Nepal border shook northeast and northern parts of the country, including the national capital, this evening.