Ishmael
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 18, 2011
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Authorities in Nepal say at least 1,130 people are dead following a powerful earthquake not far from the capital Kathmandu, where homes and ancient temples collapsed amid the intense temblor and strong aftershocks.
Dozens of people in three neighboring countries were also killed and at least eight were reported dead on Mount Everest and perhaps dozens more trapped by a quake-triggered avalanche that hit the world's tallest peak at the height of the climbing season.
The death toll was likely to continue to rise - perhaps dramatically - as more information comes in from remote and isolated region affected by the magnitude 7.8 quake. The Associated Press says that the earthquake "shook several cities across northern India, and was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, Lhasa in Tibet, and in Dhaka, Bangladesh." Kathmandu's international airport was shut down following the temblor, the news agency says.
"We need support from the various international agencies which are more knowledgeable and equipped to handle the kind of emergency we face now," Nepal's Information Minister Minendra Rijal was quoted by the BBC as saying.
Read more: 1,400 Confirmed Dead In Nepal After Powerful Earthquake : The Two-Way : NPR
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UPDATES:
April 27, 2015
At least 3,617 people are now known to have died in a massive earthquake which hit Nepal on Saturday, police say.
More than 6,500 people have been injured, according to the National Emergency Operation Centre.
Dozens of people are also reported to have been killed in neighbouring China and India.
More than 200 climbers have been rescued around Mount Everest, which was struck by deadly avalanches in the 7.8-magnitude quake.
Vast tent cities have sprung up in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, for those displaced or afraid to return to their homes as strong aftershocks continued. Thousands spent Sunday night - their second night - outside.
Officials have warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams reach remote mountainous areas of western Nepal.
Initial reports suggest that many communities, especially those close to mountainsides, suffered significant quake damage.
"Villages like this are routinely affected by landslides, and it's not uncommon for entire villages of 200, 300, up to 1,000 people to be completely buried by rock falls," Matt Darvas, spokesman for aid agency World Vision said.
A man evacuated by helicopter to Pokhara, 200km from Kathmandu, said almost every home in his village of more than 1,000 houses had been destroyed, Mr Darvas told the BBC.
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April 28, 2015
- More than 4,000 are confirmed dead and 6,500 injured (Police say at least 4,352 people have been confirmed dead)
- Authorities struggling to cope despite aid efforts
- Jason Burke in Kathmandu: what the victims share is poverty
- Kathmandu Valley's architectural treasures destroyed
