New Nepal quake: Rescuers battle to reach survivors

Rescuers battled on Wednesday to reach survivors of a deadly new earthquake in Nepal that triggered landslides and brought down buildings, as hundreds of troops searched for a missing US military helicopter.

Thousands of traumatised survivors spent the night outdoors, afraid to return to their houses after Tuesday’s 7.3-magnitude quake hit, less than three weeks after the country was devastated by its deadliest quake in more than 80 years.

Dozens of people were killed in the latest disaster, bringing the overall death toll to more than 8,200 and compounding the difficulty of reaching far-flung mountain communities in desperate need of shelter, food and clean water.

The United Nations said it faced a “monumental challenge” to bring relief to victims, many of whom live in areas accessible only on foot or by <g data-gr-id="16">helicopter,</g> before the monsoon rains began. UN resident coordinator Jamie McGoldrick said Tuesday’s quake had exacerbated an already desperate situation as he delivered an urgent call for more funding.