New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) India's star footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, who was caught in last week's devastating earthquake, has asked people all over the country to come forward to help his home state Sikkim and announced plans for a charity match to raise funds.



Things in the northeast state were getting worse by the day, said Bhutia, who retired from international football last month after leading the national side for a decade. Several people were still trapped in mountain villages and rescue operations were slow as roads had been cut off due to landslides.

Sunday's 6.8-magnitude earthquake has claimed more than 61 lives in Sikkim. The quake also rattled large parts of India and also jolted Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh.

"Every day things are getting worse as the death toll in rising. Rescue operations are slow and are being hampered by rains and landslides. Roads have been cut off and it is very difficult for rescue workers to get to the far flung areas specially north Sikkim, which has been worst hit," Bhutia, 34, told IANS over the phone from Kolkata.

"I appeal to the people of India to come forward and help the victims of earthquake in Sikkim. Schools and hospitals have been destroyed and many victims are still trapped in the debris. People have lost their livelihoods," he said.

He, too, was caught in the quake. Bhutia said he was having tea in his village in Tinkitam in Namchi district in southern Sikkim, some 80 km from Gangtok, when the earthquake struck.

Bhutia said it took him eight hours to reach Gangtok to be with his pregnant wife Madhuri and his 17-month-old twins.

The star footballer said he was in talks with his friends in Bollywood, who had assured him of help to raise funds for Sikkim.

"I am also in talks with several other people, and some industrial houses have also pledged support for the victims of earthquake. I am also planning to have a charity match involving (his club) United Sikkim and donate the proceedings to the victims. We have to start everything from scratch," he said.

Several Bollywood stars will be attending the third edition of Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) awards in Kolkata. Bhutia, president of FPAI, will be speaking to some of them to contribute for the cause.