No major damage to infrastructure, but tremor causes panic among tourists North Bengal

Several buildings have been affected in the quake, electric and telephones poles have been uprooted, and roads have caved in

The earthquake that rocked the north eastern region of the country on Saturday, killing two persons and leaving several injured in West Bengal, was strongly felt in North Bengal, a major tourism hub.

“A 35-year-old man was killed as a wall collapsed in Siliguri, while a 45-year-old woman was crushed to death after a portion of a building fell in the Naxalbari block,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police OG Pal. Around 30 people with various injuries have been hospitalised across Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

The tremor was felt strongly in North Bengal, especially in Siliguri. Civic body polls were on in the state today and polling was temporarily suspended due to the quake. Several buildings have been damaged, electric and telephones poles uprooted, and roads have caved in, setting off panic among locals and tourists in these areas.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “I have spoken to the Prime Minister, and we have opened a toll-free helpline (1070).” She is also likely to visit Siliguri on Sunday to monitor the situation.

“The impact was mostly in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. So far, we have not heard of any major impact in Darjeeling and Gangtok, the major tourist destinations. Roads from Siliguri to Darjeeling and Gangtok are open,” said Jayanta Majumder, a Siliguri-based tour operator.

Sanjay Bansal, who owns 14 tea estates in North Bengal, said, “Darjeeling was mostly unaffected. In Siliguri, a building has developed a lot of cracks.”

“All roads are open and there has been no damage to infrastructure. But the challenge is managing panic-stricken tourists. We hope things will normalise within 24 hours,” said Samrat Sanyal, executive director of the Eastern Himalayas Travel and Tour Operators’ Association.

According to the association, the total lodging capacity in various tourist destinations in the area, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Gangtok, is about 30,000. “Occupancy is 65-70 per cent as we are close to the peak season, which starts from April 20,” Sanyal added.

Tourism in the region, especially in Darjeeling, was affected in the last five years due to repeated blockades and agitations by the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janamukti Morcha for a separate Gorkhaland. However, peace was restored in the last one year, being a major boost to tourism industry.