NU Online News Service, Sept. 19, 12:07 p.m. EDT
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck in the region of Sikkim, India yesterday, causing moderate to heavy damage to vulnerable structures, as well as at least 38 fatalities and over 100 injuries, according to catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions.
Spokespeople for both RMS and AIR Worldwide say the firms are not releasing insured-loss estimates for the quake.
Citing U.S. Geological Survey statistics, RMS says the quake struck approximately 42 miles northwest of Gangtok, Sikkim, India; 169 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal; and 355 miles north of Calcutta, West Bengal, India. It was felt as far away as New Delhi, India, where RMS says thousands of people evacuated their homes.
RMS says several buildings are reported to have partially or fully collapsed, while large cracks are reported in several other buildings. Damage has also been reported to roads in the region.
RMS says 26 of the fatalities have been reported from India, five in Nepal and seven in Tibet.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.