By Lorraine Gabina – EMTV News, Port Moresby
A powerful earthquake struck India in the early hours of yesterday morning, killing at least 11 people and injuring nearly 200, according to Police and hospitals in Imphal. The death toll is expected to rise.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Imphal, the capital of the Indian state Manipur, bordering Myanmar, while the city of about 270,000 people was still asleep just before dawn.
Search teams are still trying to find workers feared to have been buried under the rubble of a building that had been under construction. They are unsure just how many might be trapped.
Residents said power and communication links were down in the remote region. Some residents are angered at what they called the authorities’ slow response, saying that although the army had begun to clear some debris, it appeared to lack heavy equipment.
Portions of walls, staircases and roofs in some buildings collapsed in Imphal. People rushed out of their homes and gathered in the streets. In hospitals, paramedics attended to the injured.
