QUAKE VICTIMS

Grey River Argus, 24 January 1934, Page 6

QUAKE VICTIMS

THOUSANDS more Nepal Havoc Equal io Bihar (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) ('AFC UTT A. Janna ry 22 Earthquake havoc at Nepal threat ens to rival that in North Bihar. A Dor message received in Calcutta states that the important towns of Khatmandu, ('hndgaiMi. and Patna, were almost destroyed. A largo area was devastated l\v shocks of terrible intensitv, on Monday last week. The dealh-rol’-, it is feared, will he many thousands. A large portion of Khatmandu. the capital, was destroyed. Every building at Biratnagar was razed. The Nopal Government ’s railway linking the capital with India was damaged. The Maharaja, who was tiger shooting when the earthquake occurred, is still unable to reach Khatmandu. where the palace was wrecked, but the Royal Family is safe. although many of the Nepalese nobility perished. Tu Bihar and Orissa, troops and police relief organisations are working feverishly to disinter the bodies of earthquake victims. Living uninjured are still being found in the ruins. Three survivors were unearthed toArmy engineers are demolishing tottering bui’dings, and hastily sinking wells, owing to lhe shortage of water through th<‘ de-t ruction of wells. Relief work in the earthquake arens of Bihar and Oiis>a is now on an or ganised footing in the damaged fown c and money has been ])laced at the disposal of district officers for charitable relief, in all the affected towns. after the catastrophe in Along hv r, six relief centre.-. were working. Food was <1 i>t rilmtrd free the others. In Monghyr, trained sappers ami miners have begun the demolition ami clearance of dangerous buildings. Be tween 400 and 500 dead have so far been extricated from the debris in this town. A >ystemat ic clearance has begun at Darbhanga. Al Muzaffarpur, the waterworks art* now giving twothirds of the full normal supply. The Muzaffarpur municipality is arranging I for 50 small tube wells at the Government’s expense, to maintain the water supply. Immediate necrssiiies are •lolti-r. am| warm clothe f.>r the what is th.- co|.\r | month .d thr y:ir. the wells in rural districts, in which the- water supply has been precarious. Enquiries have reached the India Office from many ]>arts of the world, regarding the safety of individual Europeans in the earthquake area. Their information is that .Miss Christian, an elderly lady, of Monghyr. was killed, and Miss Smith, another elderly ladv of Monghyr, lias since died from injuries and shock. Messrs M-igrath. of Monghyr, am] Inglis, of Jitwarpur, am] Mesdames Harman, of Murla. and Corbett, of Muzaffarpur town, were injured. No other deaths amongst Europeans ~iro reported. I he A iceroy of India lias opened an appeal for funds to relieve the sufferers by the earthquake. In a personal message, the Viceroy says:—“A very serious calamity has reeentVv overtaken a Large number of our countrymen, especially i n Bihar ami Orissa. While no accurate details are yet l orthroming. it is no exaggeration to say that there Las an appal--ing loss of life. Countless homes have been destroyed, and over a wide area property and possessions have boon annihilated. At smdi a time, ] feel confident that tl)' 1 sympathy of all classes goes out to those who are involved in this great disaster, and that efforts to alleviate their sufferings will meet a ready response. I have, therefore, decided to set up a fund, which will- he known as the “Viceroy’s Earthquake Fund. ’ ’ Subscriptions are to be sent to the Private Secretary, A'iceroy’s House, New Delhi. NAPIER’S GOOD LEAD. (Per Press Association.) NAPIER, January 23. Tn response to the appeal by th-e Viceroy of India for funds to relieve the distress among the Indian people who arn victims of the earthquake disaster, the Mayor of Napier. Mr C. O. Morse has oiiened a local fund, the Napier Branch of the Rod Cross So ,cie/y having subscribed ten guineas, while Mr .Mors? himself i os added five guineas. “India was one of the first countries to come to our assistance in 1931,’’ said Mr Morse, “and in helping stricken people, we are merely reciprocating the gesture she willingly