New tremors spark brief panic in India quake zone<\/p>\n
BHUJ, India (Reuters): A series of fresh tremors struck fear
\ninto the hearts of thousands living in India's earthquake-ravaged
\nwestern state of Gujarat overnight, but officials said they
\nappeared to have caused little damage.<\/p>\n
\"We have no report of any damage from the entire district, we
\nare still updating our reports, but I believe the impact has not
\nbeen significant,\" Anil Mukim, district magistrate of Bhuj, told
\nReuters on Friday.<\/p>\n
The town of Bhuj took the brunt of the Jan. 26 earthquake
\nwhich, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, killed at least 30,000
\npeople and left more than a million homeless.<\/p>\n
Terrified residents of Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of
\nGujarat, spent the night outdoors after the strongest of many
\naftershocks which have shaken the region over the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
The tremor, which registered 5.3 on the Richter scale, caused
\nwidespread panic.<\/p>\n
The Indian Express said at least 40 people were injured as
\nthey fled high-rise buildings, fell down stairs or jumped off
\nbalconies. It said more than 25 people were brought to the city's
\nmain hospital and treated for fractures or head injuries.<\/p>\n
\"This takes the number of aftershocks following the main
\nearthquake to 234,\" said J.C. Verma, a duty officer at the
\nmeteorological department.<\/p>\n
The fresh tremors were felt in several towns of Gujarat, but
\nthere were no reports of deaths or buildings collapsing.
\nAn official of the World Health Organization said he felt two
\naftershocks on Thursday night while in his hotel room in Bhuj.<\/p>\n
\"I was woken up when I heard some glasses rattling on the
\ntable,\" Dr. Nilesh Budda said.<\/p>\n
However, a Reuters reporter in Bhuj said there was no sign of
\npanic or alarm in the ancient town after the new tremor.<\/p>\n
People crowded around streetside tea stalls early in the
\nmorning and women carrying huge bundles of clothes walked to a
\nlake on the edge of the old town to do their washing.<\/p>\n
\"People are not so afraid anymore,\" said Atul Tewaria, a local
\nresident.<\/p>\n
\"Even those who have lost their close ones, even they are
\nslowly reconciling to their fate and picking up their lives.
\nThings are slowly returning to normal, shops are opening up.\"<\/p>\n
District Collector Anil Mukim said banks and government
\noffices were back to work and local business chambers were
\npushing for the resumption of the city's wholesale market.<\/p>\n
\"It is very heartening and a very positive factor that people
\nare not only coming out of the shock but are also looking forward
\nto the return of normalcy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the worst-affected district, Kutch, authorities and aid
\nworkers turned their attention from rescue operations to
\nrehabilitation of the thousands affected by the quake.
\nThe United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said it was
\nproviding $3 million for needs assessment, coordination and
\nrelief with funding from Italy, Britain and the United States.<\/p>\n
Its program will provide shelter to 40,000 families in rural
\nareas of Gujarat and ensure reconstruction of safer houses to
\nreduce their vulnerability to future disasters.<\/p>\n
\"The state was already in the grip of drought when the
\nearthquake struck, and this had forced men to migrate in search
\nof work,\" it said.<\/p>\n
\"The work of rebuilding homes will, in most likelihood, be
\ndone by women. Therefore, involving women's groups from the early
\nstage of planning and decision-making will be a priority.\"<\/p>\n
As aid poured in from around the world, The Hindustan Times
\ndaily said some food parcels have contained inappropriate and
\nunfamiliar fare for people accustomed to a diet of lentils, rice
\nand a yoghurt-based curry.<\/p>\n
It said the aid included Western breakfast cereals, powdered
\nsoup, luncheon meat, sardines in sunflower oil and pineapple
\nslices in syrup. The ingredients, use-by dates and preparation
\nguidelines were written in Swedish, Arabic, Danish and Spanish.<\/p>",
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