Most of the damage occurred in Chamoli and Rudraprayag, semi-urban areas of about 50,000 people, where numerous buildings collapsed, walls crumbled and windows were shattered. Power and telephone utilities were disrupted and numerous landslides and rock falls have occurred in mountains. Preliminary estimates from helicopter flyovers suggest 80 to 90 percent of the buildings in Chamoli have been damaged or destroyed and considerable damage has occurred in the surrounding regions. Officials fear the death toll will rise much higher as rescue workers sift through the rubble. President K.R. Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee have dispatched army solders, rescue workers and medical personnel to the region but numerous landslides and road failures have hampered travel in the area.
Many reports say several other very large landslides are poised to contribute to the damage.
The earthquake was felt in far-western Nepal and across many parts of north India. Residents in New Delhi were jerked awake by two strong tremors. Furniture swayed and windows rattled. Send us a quick note on what you felt . A similar copy of this earthquake report was sent to subscribers of the Seismo-Watch Earthquake Fax Alert Bulletins within an hour of the event.