KHATMANDU (SW): The death toll from a devastating earthquake that shook Nepal on Saturday April 25 near its capital Katmandu was feared to rise as authorise were facing difficulties in the rescue and relief operations.
The government was yet to assess the full scale of the damage wrought by Saturday's 7.9 magnitude quake, unable to reach many mountainous areas despite aid supplies and personnel pouring in from around the world.
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has feared the death toll could reach 10,000, as information of damage from far-flung villages and towns has yet to come in.
That would surpass the 8,500 who died in a 1934 earthquake, the last disaster on this scale to hit the Himalayan nation.
The United Nations said 8 million people were affected by the quake and that 1.4 million people were in need of food.
According to the New York Times, dozens of bodies were pulled from the historic nine-story Dharahara tower that came crashing down during the quake. The tower, built in 1832, provided visitors with a panoramic view of the Kathmandu Valley.
At least 17 people were reported killed on Mount Everest, where the quake caused multiple avalanches.
A seemingly endless series of aftershocks continued to roil the area, further traumatizing survivors. Residents huddled in the cold rain overnight for safety.
The death toll of 1,910 — provided Sunday by Laxmi Dhakal, an official at the Nepalese Ministry of Home Affairs — is expected to rise as the full extent of the damage is assessed.
The quake was the strongest in the region in more than 80 years. Residents are used to earthquakes in Nepal, and many thought the start of Saturday's quake was a tremor, until the earth kept shaking and buildings crashed down.
"The reports of the devastation are still coming in and the numbers of people killed, injured and affected by this earthquake continue to rise," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement.
Four of the area’s seven Unesco World Heritage sites were severely damaged in the earthquake: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a temple complex built in the shape of a conch shell; Patan Durbar Square, which dates to the third century; Basantapur Durbar Square, which was the residence of Nepal’s royal family until the 19th century; and the Boudhanath Stupa, one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in the Himalayas.
ENDS
