West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met her Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered him all assistance to meet the situation arising out of Sunday's quake. "Sikkim is our neighbouring state and we stand by the people of Sikkim at this hour of crisis with all sorts of assistance to help them tide over the situation," Banerjee told reporters after meeting Chamling at NHPC guest house.

Banerjee earlier went around some of the the tremor affected villages and talked to doctors and nurses in two hospitals where the injured were receiving treatment.

Expressing concern over the loss of several lives in the state due to the earthquake, she said while the Centre was extending all help, "We in West Bengal have already given some relief materials and medicines and are ready to provide more."

"What is needed is joint effort to overcome the crisis," she added.