16 people lost their lives and over 100 were injured as a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sikkim on Sunday evening. Authorities fear the toll could rise further. The exact extent of damages is yet to be assessed as relief and rescue is yet to reach affected areas.

The Army has lost 2 jawans in North Sikkim. Army vehicles including a bus that went missing have been found and all personnel are safe. In all 50 armed columns have been deployed. 7-10 cookhouses have been set up to provide food to the homeless. The Bagdogra airbase has been made the centre of all operations. The armed forces have deployed teams for relief and rescue activity, the Centre is also sending emergency teams in. But heavy rains, intermittent power cut, and loss of mobile phone connectivity did hamper rescue operations in the initial hours. Rain and landslides hamper search and rescue operations. Authorities fear the toll could rise further.

At 6.10 pm on Sunday evening, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Sikkim. Mangan, 54 km from Gangtok, was the epicentre of that quake that left a trail of death and massive damages in its wake. It was not just Sikkim that was shaken, the tremors were felt in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, North East and Nepal. The quake has cut off Sikkim. Mobile connectivity has been hit. The national highway is closed after heavy rains followed by landslides and there are reports of people being trapped. The Army has already reached out to the affected.

The Centre has rushed in teams of the National Disaster Response Force. They have been flown in from Delhi and Kolkata till Bagdora from where they proceed by road. But the bad weather and landslides are posing huge challenges. The quake has given a rude jolt to Sikkim and many parts of northern and eastern India. Several homes and properties have been damaged but a clearer picture of the extent of damages is yet to come out.