KATHMANDU, Nepal– Disaster management chief said Monday that the death count after a massive earthquake hit parts of Nepal on Saturday has already surged 3, 218.
(Carl Whetham/IFRC/Handout/EPA)
The count from 3, 218 and 6, 500 injured as reported by Rameshwor Dangal, who heads the home ministry’s national disaster management division, is expected to increase as more bodies are pulled out from the devastated areas.
“Rescue efforts are underway,” Nepal police spokesman Kamal Singh Bam told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that its initial measurement of the earthquake is 7.5 magnitude and later adjusted it to 7.8, with a depth of 15 kilometers.
In a predictor graphic USGS shared that that there was a 17% chance the quake could claim more than 100,000 lives.
Meanwhile, 10 people were killed when an avalanche covered the parts of base camp in the feet of Mount Everest where hundreds of mountaineers set up their camp.
“Deaths have been reported from all regions except the far west. All our security personnel have been deployed to rescue and assist those in need,” Bam told AFP.
The historic 9-story Dharahara tower which is a major attraction in Kathmandu gave in during the quake leaving a dozen of casualties.
Other parts of the cities also suffered from the quake leaving many more casualties. At least 90 people were also reported dead in neighboring countries including India and China.
H/T: Rappler.com
