Central team to visit Chamoli today

Sunday night8217;s earthquake which measured a phenomenal 6.8 on the Richter scale damaged 90 to 95 per cent of the structures in Chamoli township which has a population of 1,000.

This includes the district hospital, the district jail and several police barracks, official sources said today.

District magistrate of Chamoli, Uma Kant Pawar, said 143 people have been rescued from the debris.

Nineteen seriously injured people are being treated at Gopeshwar Hospital, official sources said.

With communication channels destroyed, little information was available on the situation in Rudraprayag, the worst hit along withChamoli, they said.

Relief camps have been set up in Chamoli and nearby Gopeshwar with medical teams reaching the areas.

Three Air Force helicopters are airlifting people from villages not accessible by road.

The Public Works Department PWD has taken up on a war-footing repairs to roads to restore the snapped communication lines.

In Chamoli, water and power supply remain cut off, officials said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh will survey the affected areas today, they said.

An ex-gratia payment of Rs one lakh has been announced for the next of kin of employed people who were killed, while Rs 50,000 will be paid to the families of jobless victims, Pawar said.

Rupees 25,000 will be paid to those whose houses have been damaged while the injured will get Rs 1,000, he said.