An earthquake struck an area of central Nepal between Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara early on Saturday and is reported to have killed 2,500 people. Many residents of the capital, Kathmandu, lost their homes as a result of the tremor and others are afraid to return homes.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people in central Nepal are spending a second night outdoors in tents and any other shelter they can find. Efforts to dig victims out from under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu continues and aid is arriving to help the country cope with the aftermath of the worst earthquake to hit Nepal for more than 80 years.
A powerful aftershock was felt on Sunday in Nepal, India and Bangladesh, and more avalanches were reported near Everest. Hospitals, rattled by the aftershocks, moved sick and injured patients outside. Doctors at Kathmandu Medical College set up an operating theater inside a tent.
The tremor also unleashed avalanches on Mount Everest, which killed at least 17 people and injured 61 others. Foreign climbers and their Nepalese guides around Mt Everest were caught by the tremors and a huge avalanche buried part of the base camp in the snow.
Pemba Sherpa, who was among the first group of survivors that was flown to Kathmandu on Sunday, said he was resting in his tent when the quake hit.
“I heard a big noise and the next thing I know I was swept away by the snow. I must have been swept almost 200 metres. I lost consciousness.”
He said many people are still missing on the mountain as several tents were buried by the snow or blown away.
No comments:
Post a Comment