Aftershocks lead to panic in Indo-Nepal border districts

As aftershocks continued to shake the Indo-Nepal border districts of Gorakhpur, Maharajganj and Siddharth Nagar, panic prevailed among the people residing near the borders. 

The Uttar Pradesh government has instructed the authorities in these districts to be prepared to deal with any emergency. Tremors were felt in the state capital and some other districts, said sources.

They added that the state government has, following the quake, made arrangements to provide medical treatment to citizens of Nepal. 

“We will provide all possible help to the people from Nepal,” said UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Even usually, thousands of people from nearby Nepalese towns visit the BRD Medical College Hospital at Gorakhpur for treatment, as it is nearer for them than any other specialised treatment centre in Nepal.

Officials in Gorakhpur said they expected the injured from Nepal to arrive at the hospital from Saturday night.

Reports said recurrent aftershocks had triggered panic among the people in the area, and thousands were still on the road. “Fear still prevails among the people.

In rural areas, people have shifted to open fields,” said Ravi Shankar Upadhyaya, a journalist based out of Gorakhpur.

He said the tremors had also affected the number of passengers travelling to the border towns in these districts.

Three people, including a two-year-old infant, were killed in Gorakhpur after the walls of a partially constructed house caved in during the quake, according to reports. Deaths have also been reported from some other border districts.