Quake kills three in Bengal, Mamata rings Modi

A massive earthquake in Nepal, felt in most parts of India, on Saturday killed three people and injured over 30 in West Bengal, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the situation.

Speaking to mediapersons in Kolkata, Banerjee said she will visit north Bengal on Sunday which has been most affected by the quake.

"I have spoken to the prime minister informing him about the situation in the state. Three people have died in north Bengal while 30 others are injured all over the state until now," she said.

"I will be visiting earthquake affected areas in north Bengal on Sunday. A disaster management team is leaving tonight. There should not be any panic. We have to take all precautions and preventions," Banerjee said.

She also said a control room of the disaster management group has been set up with a toll free number.

According to police, two people, including a 45-year-old woman, were crushed to death in Siliguri in Darjeeling district while another man died in Ambari area of Jalpaiguri district after the tremors led to the collapse of several buildings.

"Several buildings have been affected in the quake, electric and telephones poles have been uprooted, and roads have caved in," Darjeeling District Magistrate Punit Yadav said.

Around 20 people with various degrees of injuries have been hospitalised across Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. Several people, including school children, were injured after three buildings, including a school building, collapsed in Malda district.

The quake also affected polling to 91 civic bodies across the state with the process being temporarily halted in many booths in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad and Howrah among others.

The tremors created panic among voters queued up outside booth while a few elderly voters had to be given medical attention after they felt sick.

In Kolkata, the tremors triggered panic as people came out of high-rises housing several offices in the heart of the city. Metro services were also disrupted due to the earthquake and stations were evacuated.

Many residents came out of their houses in the city and its suburbs. Cracks were visible in some houses in Kolkata. Roads in several areas of the city also caved in.