February 2001 World Headlines

Friday, February 2, 2001 - Web posted at 10:13:39 AM GMT

Quake survivors fall sick

KHAVDA - Survivors of India's worst earthquake were falling ill in growing numbers yesterday as authorities raced to supply clean drinking water to several hundred thousand homeless people.

Doctors and officials said there was a real risk of epidemic breaking out because of contaminated drinking water, though there were as yet no cases reported of typhoid or cholera.

The earthquake which devastated the western state of Gujarat on Friday has cut off power and water supplies in many places.

In the village of Khavda, 60 km from the Pakistan border, Doctor Suraj Singh Kubray said he was seeing at least 50 cases of diarrhoea a day caused by contaminated water supplies."

"It's rising and it may rise to 100 in the coming days," he said.

"The main water storage facility was damaged.

They need fresh water immediately because infection can spread through contaminated water."

"The Gujarat state government says some 25 000 people died in the quake, though some estimates put the death toll at 50 000 or even higher.

- Nampa-Reuters

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