GUWAHATI: Rain and landslides were blocking rescue efforts of hundreds of workers searching for survivors of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that jolted a remote Himalayan region in northern India, killing at least 26 people, police and media said on Monday.
At least seven people died in the northeastern state of Sikkim, the epicentre of Sunday night's quake, but authorities say the toll could rise as rescue teams have not been able to reach remote areas.
At least two died in Bihar state, south of Sikkim, while four died in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Sikkim, the country's most sparsely populated state located in the Himalayas surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, is prone to landslides, with the number of many high-rise buildings rising in its mountain towns due to India's economic boom.
Outside India, at least six people died in neighbouring Nepal, while seven were reported dead in China's restive Tibet region.
More than 400 rescue workers trying to reach Sikkim's capital Gangtok have been cut off by landslides and cracks in the roads, officials at a police control room in Sikkim told Reuters.
Many towns in Sikkim are experiencing power cuts, while thousands are being sheltered by the government.
"People are still panicky," Pawan Thapa, a resident of Gangtok, told Reuters by phone. "We spent the whole night outside our homes."
He added that shops, businesses and offices were closed in Gangtok and neighbouring areas.
Several Indian Air Force jets with personnel and equipment were immediately dispatched to Sikkim after the quake. Army officers in Sikkim, which has a large military deployment near the Chinese border, have also been mobilised.
The quake was felt all the way to New Delhi in India as well as to Bangladesh, shaking buildings. At least 10 people were injured and some buildings suffered minor damage.
Several earthquakes have hit north and east India this year, but none have caused major damage or injuries.
Copyright Reuters, 2011
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