Nepal quake kills hundreds, sparks Everest avalanche
Nepalese officials currently put the death toll from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake west of Kathmandu at more than 700, and climbing. The quake toppled temples and a beloved landmark, also causing a Mount Everest avalanche.
Home ministry officials and police in Kathmandu on Saturday issued regular updates on the casualties from the quake, the strongest to hit Nepal in 81 years. By mid-evening, the tally had cleared 700 people, the majority of them in the Kathmandu Valley region – Nepal’s most densely populated area, where the tremor struck.
“Rescue efforts are still underway. We fear that the toll might rise as we dig through the rubble,” police spokesman Kamal Singh told the AFP news agency.
The city’s international airport was briefly closed as a precaution, with flights diverted to neighboring India. A beloved local landmark, the Dharahara – or Bhimsen Tower – collapsed with dozens inside. First built in 1832, it was toppled in Kathmandu’s major 1934 earthquake and subsequently restored.
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Source News: DW
