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RAF called out in Ahmedabad, toll 651

Vikram Vakil in Ahmedabad

Union Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan said the Gujarat government had put the toll (in the afternoon) in Friday's earthquake at 651 and added, "We believe the figure may be much more."

However, agencies report that the toll could be well over 1000 with the injured being put at over 2500.

The Rapid Action Force has been called out in Ahmedabad, even as the earthquake claimed 194 lives in the city.

Elsewhere in the state, too, the body count has been mounting steadily. In Bhuj, near which lay the quake's epicentre, 150 people have been killed in the earthquake, and official sources fear that this toll could shoot up.

Other parts of Gujarat that have reported loss of lives are Surendranagar (64), Surat (17) Patan (4) and Navsari (5).

In Ahmedabad city, the Shardaben hospital has reported 52 deaths, the civil hospital has reported 51 deaths, LG hospital, 27, VS hospital 47, and Jivraj Mehta, 10 deaths.

Many high-rises have collapsed in Ahmedabad city, the worst of them being the 10-storey Shikhar building. The worst damage is feared in Ranip area of the city. At least 30 buildings are feared to have collapsed.

In fact, so bad is the situation in the city, that Lakshmi hospital has run out of space and has taken to treating patients on the road outside.

The Morbi engineering college has crashed, and 20 students are feared trapped in the debris.

It is feared some 100 students of the Swami Narayan school at Mani Nagar in Ahmedabad are trapped under the debris of the school-building.

Rescue operations are underway, the RAF told rediff.com

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