LOSS OF LIFE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1934, Page 7

LOSS OF LIFE

LESS THAN ONCE FEARED

SURVEY OF SITUATION

: ■ ■__:"...! '' "■.'■'■ "' (British Official Wireless.) (Received January 26, 11 a.m.) , RUGBY, January- 25. With the news now available, it is possible to form a closer appreciation, than has hitherto been, possible of the magnitude of th 0 Indian earthquake of January 15. . It now appears that the loss of life, although grave, has been much smaller than was at one time feared, the death roll, being apparently not greatly in excess of 2500. Considering the widespread damage to house property and crops this figure is remarkably small. This may be due to the fact thatthe earthquake occurred when the majority of the population was out of doors. ' i The towns suffering , most material damage were those of North Bihar, vvhoro at least half the brick-built houses, were ruined and the town ,of Mongtiyr, -where the hospital was destroyed and hundreds of lives.lost in the collapse of the bazaar, now a heap of ruins. > In Mussaf arpore the houses of tho judges and civil servants were destroyed. The gaol and bank wore damaged and some 300 lives lost. In Darbhanga another 300 Jives were lost, and all tho brick buildings' destroyed. Motihari was completely isolated and largely destroyed. As regards other towns the following is the position:— In Bhagalpnr buildings were extensively damaged. At Jamalpur there was very great material damage and a loss of some 20 lives. In Pusa the famous agricultural institute was badly' damaged. In Chapra residences and public buildings were wrecked and the hospital rendered unsafe^ .' In Patna 50 lives were lost and hundreds injured and over 4000 buildings either damaged or destroyed. POSITION IN COUNTRY. Outside the towns the destruction of house property has been on a much smaller scale. The more obvious signs of the , earthquake are broken and obliterated roads, widespread; floods, and great cracks in the ground from which mud, sand, and. water have been spreading a devastating' slimy deposit over fields and crops, In addition there has been a general collapse of road and railway bridges, making ordinary, communications impracticable over a largo part, of the affected area. The gravest menace to the rural population which, reaches in places the unusual density of over 900' to the square mile is the damage to agriculture, including the destruction of the sugar mills. Moreover many wells have been -ruined and the problem of the supply of healthy drinking water, both in towns and villages, is most acute. The disaster affected all classes. The townsfolk lost houses and possessions and the agriculturists their crops and markets. lit Bihar alone the damage, estimated at many crores of rupee* was caused. Very large relief funds will be required. . , In-Britain the High Commissioner for India is receiving contributions towards the fund started by the Viceroy, arid' the Lord Mayor of London, at tho request of the Secretary for India, is to co-operate.