Nepal quake: Hundreds die, many feared trapped
27 April 2015 5:09 AM IST
The 7.9 magnitude quake struck an area between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara, the US Geological Survey said.
Tremors were felt across the region, with further loss of life in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and on Mount Everest. The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.
Nepali Information Minister Minendra Rijal said there had been “massive damage” at the epicentre, from where little information is emerging.
“We need support from the various international agencies which are more knowledgeable and equipped to handle the kind of emergency we face now,” he said. A national police spokesman told a news agency that more than 1,000 people had died in the quake, and that more than 1,700 had been injured. At least 539 people were killed in the Kathmandu valley, he added. Rescuers are digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the capital trying to reach survivors. A number of historic buildings have been destroyed.
After the earthquake struck, frightened residents came out into the streets. Mobile phones and other communications have been disrupted. There are also reports of damage to Kathmandu airport which could hamper relief operations. With little known about the extent of the damage around the earthquake’s epicentre, there are fears the death toll could rise.
Aftershocks continued to ripple through the region hours later. The quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 10 people, and another five in Tibet, officials and reports say.
Flights to Kathmandu put on hold
Indian Domestic airlines on Saturday put on hold their services to the Nepal capital Kathmandu, following the closure of runway due to a powerful earthquake that rocked central part of the Himalyan country, causing extensive damage to buildings. All Indian carriers- national airline Air India and private carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, have put on hold their flight services till they get a go-ahead from the Nepalese aviation authorities. “We operated three flights to Kathmandu. While the morning flight from Delhi operated as per the schedule, the two other services, one from Delhi and another from Kolkata are on hold as of now. We will operate them as soon as we get a nod from the aviation authorities in Kathmandu,” an Air India spokesperson said.
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