Earthquake in Sikkim
On the 18th of September 2011 all of the state of Skkim, part of Nepal, India and Tibet was hit by a large earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter-scale. The epicenter of the quake was in the borderlands of Northern Sikkim and Nepal. There are reports of up to 100 deaths and 100.000 houses being damaged all over Sikkim. The quake was felt from Chittagong in Bangladesh to Delhi in India and even houses in Bakthapur in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal suffered damage.
Many historical monasteries in Sikkim has suffered extensive damage, particularly Pemayangtse and Tholing. Also Rumtek Monastery has been damaged, though not seriously, but the Shedra at Rumtek has received serious structural failure, so it is now useless and in danger of collapsing. There are no reports of death and injury from the Rumtek area. Karmapa’s Shedra in Kalimpong, that is situated in Northern Bengal, has suffered extensive damage. There were many minor later quakes all over Sikkim and landslides everywhere obstructing the roads and electrical supply lines. Army and rescue organisations has been rushed to Sikkim to help, often by helicopter. On the 19th of September the 17th Karmapa Thinley Taye Dorje issued the following letter of condolence and held a great Puja in the KIBI institute in New Delhi, India.
|