‭ escue‭‬‭‬Work‭‬‭‬Continues‭‬‭‬in‭‬‭‬Gujarat‬

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‭By‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬Staff‭‬‭‬Reporter‬

‭ n‭‬‭‬10/15/2023,‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬devastating‭‬‭‬earthquake‭‬‭‬shook‭‬‭‬Gujarat,‭‬‭‬leaving‭‬‭‬devastating‬
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‭effects‭‬‭‬in‭‬‭‬its‭‬‭‬wake.‭‬‭‬The‭‬‭‬earthquake,‭‬‭‬which‭‬‭‬struck‭‬‭‬at‭‬‭‬20:15‭‬‭‬local‭‬‭‬time,‭‬‭‬caused‬
‭extensive‭‬‭‬damage‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬life‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬property,‭‬‭‬prompting‭‬‭‬immediate‭‬‭‬rescue‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬relief‬
‭operations‬

‭ he‭‬‭‬earthquake‭‬‭‬affected‭‬‭‬many‭‬‭‬districts‭‬‭‬west‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬Surat‭‬‭‬mainly‭‬‭‬like‭‬‭‬Bharuch,‬
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‭Narmada,‭‬‭‬Navsari,‭‬‭‬Tapi,‭‬‭‬Cambay‭‬‭‬Gulf‭‬‭‬where‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬epicenter‭‬‭‬was‭‬‭‬near‭‬‭‬Surat‬
‭diamond‭‬‭‬mines‭‬‭‬The‭‬‭‬3.4‭‬‭‬earthquake‭‬‭‬unleashed‭‬‭‬its‭‬‭‬fury,‭‬‭‬causing‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬innumerable‬
‭losses‭‬‭‬sadly‭‬‭‬ensued‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬infrastructure‭‬‭‬was‭‬‭‬severely‭‬‭‬destroyed‬

‭ escue‭‬‭‬operations‭‬‭‬are‭‬‭‬well‭‬‭‬underway,‭‬‭‬with‭‬‭‬local‭‬‭‬authorities,‭‬‭‬the‭‬ ‭‬NDRF,‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬other‬
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‭relief‭‬‭‬agencies‭‬‭‬working‭‬‭‬tirelessly‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬pull‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬survivors‭‬‭‬out‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬rubble‭‬‭‬Several‬
‭relief‭‬‭‬camps‭‬‭‬have‭‬‭‬been‭‬‭‬set‭‬‭‬up‭‬‭‬in‭‬‭‬areas‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬victims‭‬‭‬have‭‬‭‬provided‭‬‭‬shelter,‭‬‭‬medical‬
‭assistance‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬livelihood‭‬‭‬towards‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬disaster‭‬‭‬victims‬

‭ n‭‬‭‬eyewitness‭‬‭‬described‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬horror‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬quake,‭‬‭‬saying,‭‬‭‬"It‭‬‭‬felt‭‬‭‬like‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬ground‬
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‭was‭‬‭‬shaking‭‬‭‬beneath‭‬‭‬our‭‬‭‬feet‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬buildings‭‬‭‬around‭‬‭‬us‭‬‭‬started‭‬‭‬collapsing.‭‬‭‬People‬
‭were‭‬‭‬screaming‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬they're‭‬‭‬running‭‬‭‬for‭‬‭‬cover.‭‬‭‬It's‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬nightmare‭‬‭‬I'll‭‬‭‬never‭‬‭‬forget."‬

‭ he‭‬‭‬main‭‬‭‬concern‭‬‭‬now‭‬‭‬is‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬fear‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬an‭‬‭‬epidemic‭‬‭‬due‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬deterioration‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬sanitary‬
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‭facilities‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬overcrowding‭‬‭‬in‭‬‭‬relief‭‬‭‬camps.‭‬‭‬Health‭‬‭‬officials‭‬‭‬are‭‬‭‬developing‬
‭measures‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬prevent‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬spread‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬diseases‭‬‭‬through‭‬‭‬surveillance‭‬‭‬victims‭‬‭‬have‬
‭access‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬clean‭‬‭‬water,‭‬‭‬sanitation‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬health‭‬‭‬care.‬

‭ he‭‬‭‬national‭‬‭‬and‭‬‭‬international‭‬‭‬response‭‬‭‬to‭‬‭‬this‭‬‭‬disaster‭‬‭‬was‭‬‭‬overwhelming.‭‬‭‬The‬
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‭Indian‭‬‭‬government‭‬‭‬has‭‬‭‬declared‭‬‭‬a‭‬‭‬state‭‬‭‬of‭‬‭‬emergency‭‬‭‬in‭‬‭‬the‭‬‭‬affected‭‬‭‬areas‭‬‭‬and‬
‭has‭‬‭‬pledged‭‬‭‬substantial‭‬‭‬financial‭‬‭‬assistance‭‬‭‬for‭‬‭‬relief‭‬‭‬efforts.‭‬‭‬International‭‬‭‬Relief‬
‭Organization‬