1,500 Killed in Indian Earthquake
N E W D E L H I, India, Jan. 26 -- Thousands of people were feared dead after a temblor, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale rocked western India, toppling high-rise buildings, ravaging communication lines and leaving untold numbers unaccounted for.
The Press Trust of India has put the death toll at 1,500 but Indian authorities fear at least another thousand are trapped under collapsed buildings. Earthquake blasts western India
There were heartbreaking scenes across western India today as rescuers raced to rescue victims trapped under debris while relatives and residents camped on the streets in the cold winter night.
In the hardest hit cities of Bhuj and Ahmedabad, people spilled onto the streets, huddling around campfires as relatives of the deceased mourned the loss of loved ones through the night.
The death toll was higher than it might have been because most people were at home today celebrating the country's Republic Day holiday when the quake hit.
"It was like sitting in a boat that was caught in a storm. Everything was shaking," Pankaj Darji of Ahmedabad told Reuters.
Major Cracks
At Bhuj, the epicenter of the quake, 90 percent of the structures developed major cracks while 10 percent were leveled, Indian Information Minister Pramod Mahajan said.
Although the town of Bhuj was the epicenter of the quake, the casualty figures were not as high as in the neighboring industrial city of Ahmedabad, where the death toll climbed to more than 250.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a state of emergency as authorities wrestled with bringing urgent assistance to the region.
Indian air force planes full of medical and essential supplies were flying down to the troubled spots from the capital, New Delhi, as the army was put on emergency alert.
More than 10 air force personnel were killed when an air force base was damaged in Bhuj.
Angry Residents
By evening, hospitals in Ahmedabad were crammed with injured victims.
Many residents complained of delays in the rescue operations. "I was hurt during the quake but I have not received any treatment so far," said a resident of Ahmedabad. "The weather is bad but we have no choice but to fend for ourselves — and there are many like us."
Related Stories
ABC News Live