Guwahati, May 2: Padmawati Majumdar, one of the seven persons from Assam who died in the Nepal quake, was cremated here today.

In other developments, the Kamrup (metro) district administration instructed hospitals and nursing homes here to assess their safety measures as part of disaster preparedness while a police official warned that the state was still not prepared to tackle a disaster like the Nepal earthquake.

Majumdar's body, which was identified by her youngest son Bikash and son-in-law Bolendra Nath in a Kathmandu hospital on Thursday, reached the LGBI airport at Borjhar here around 9am before being taken to the family home at Hengerabari.

She was cremated at Nabagraha crematorium.

Majumdar, in her sixties, and 25 others had gone on pilgrimage to Pashupatinath temple on April 23. She and six others were trapped under the debris after their hotel in Kathmandu collapsed. The other six bodies were brought here on Wednesday.

Efforts are on to trace Gobin Kanwar, who hails from Upper Assam's Lakhimpur district and had a garments business in Kathmandu. Sources said Kanwar, 45, was last seen in Ilum district, which faced lesser impact of the quake.

Additional director-general of Assam police, Umesh Kumar, who returned from Nepal today after overseeing the rescue of earthquake-hit people from the state, said: "We need to raise more battalions of the disaster response force and provide them better training. I have discussed this with chief minister Tarun Gogoi and will give my inputs for improving our disaster management system." Kumar had been asked by Gogoi to rush to Nepal on April 27.

The Kamrup (metro) administration today instructed at least 25 hospitals and nursing homes in Guwahati to assess their safety measures. It has formed five squads, each headed by an additional deputy commissioner, to monitor safety measures in hospitals and nursing homes.

Additional deputy commissioner Fakhruddin Ahmed said, "The management of hospitals and nursing homes have been asked to assess emergency safety measures and identify steps to reduce the impact of disasters like earthquakes within this month. They can take the help of engineers and experts of the PWD and other related government departments. Our squads will constantly monitor the measures."

Manash Barooah, leader of the 11-member Asom Everest Expedition, said in a statement today that they were safe at the Everest base camp.

Aid team

Civil organisations in Manipur have tied up with the state unit of Indian Red Cross Society to extend help to victims of the Nepal earthquake, reports Khelen Thokchom from Imphal.

Organisations such as the Centre for Organisation (Research and Education), Life Watch Manipur, All Clubs, Organisations, Associations and Meira Paibi Lup and the Red Cross Society formed the Disaster Relief Committee Manipur on April 28 to collect cash and kind from the public to help homeless people in the quake-hit regions of Nepal.

"We have started collecting donations in the form of cash and kind. A team comprising not more than 15 members will leave for Nepal later this month along with the aid," convener of the committee, Jacko Meitei, said.

The committee will take medicines, clothes, tarpaulin sheets, blankets, utensils, water containers and water purifying equipment to Nepal to help the quake victims.

Y. Mohen, secretary of Manipur unit of the Red Cross Society, said experts trained in the field of disaster response would be part of the team.

Before leaving Imphal, training would be given to those team members who have not dealt with disaster response earlier.

"The team will focus on reaching out and providing aid to the remote communities in Nepal. It will comprise medical, psychosocial health service experts, development experts and trained volunteers. The objective of this mission is to provide emergency services in child health, women's needs, mental health and provision of shelter and household items," Jacko said.

The team will initiate preparation for reconstruction and rehabilitation with local partners in Nepal, Roy said. The committee appealed to the public, civil organisations, NGOs, the business community, private hospitals, medical stores, pharmaceutical companies, institutions and government departments in Manipur to contribute generously to the committee.

Jacko said the committee would continue to function in the long-term to extend help to victims of future disasters in any part of the world.