Union home secretary R.K. Singh on Monday did not rule out the possibility of more people still lying trapped in the debris of collapsed houses since rescue teams have not been able to reach all villages. “So we can not really rule out right now whether any more persons are dead. But, since some time has already elapsed, I think the possibility of the toll increasing is thin, but you can’t say about a hilly area, you can’t say about an area which has far-flung villages,” he said.
Two medical teams reached Mangan and Sangthan, the worst affected, with the help of helicopters and the Border Roads Organisation has been able to
reopen Sikkim’s lifeline, National Highway 31-A, Mr Singh told reporters. On concerns of Sikkim being cut off entirely from the rest of India, he
said there are two different approach roads to the state, which also has a helipad. On the delay in construction of an airport in Sikkim, Mr Singh
said a stretch of flat land is yet to be identified. Mr Singh said nine helicopters were carrying out rescue and relief operations. “We have
started air-dropping of food packets from Siliguri (West Bengal). Purnia in Bihar is also identified as a backup for food-dropping. The West Bengal
government has been told to provide all help to the Sikkim government,” he said.
The home secretary said the Centre has advised the Sikkim government to open relief camps for the benefit of earthquake-affected people. The Army
has already opened relief camps for 2,000 people and the ITBP for 400 others.
Mr Singh also said mobile phone connectivity within Sikkim has been affected. “A total of 28 per cent of mobile connections are non-functional,” he
said. However, he added that the Sikkim Power Corporation has been able to restore power supply partially. Asked whether Prime Minister Manmo-han
Singh and home minister P. Chidambaram would make an aerial survey of the affected areas, he said, “Our primary concern now is to rescue all
affected people and provide them relief.”