Nepal earthquake: Death toll rises to 5,000

Several people are still trapped under buildings even as hopes of finding survivors of the 7.9 quake fade

GN Bureau | April 27, 2015


#nepal earthquake   #nepal earthquake prediction   #earthquake   #earthquake prediction   #earthquake aftershocks   #aftershocks   #epicentre earthquake nepal   #kathmandu   #earthquake death toll  


The Nepal earthquake death toll reached over 5,000 and more than 10,000 reported injured as relief and rescue operations continued in full swing. 

READ: What happened in Nepal

It is feared that the toll may rise further, as several people were still trapped under the rubble of buildings, houses and shopping complexes that were demolished by the quake on April 25 and its aftershocks.

Soon after the quake, prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Nepal's pain is our pain... Today's earthquake has made us all very sad. Reports are still coming on the extent of the damage." Modi also spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on the phone and assured them of all assistance.

On Monday, Koirala appealed to people to come forward to donate blood, as hospitals badly needed it to treat the injured.

According a UN report, around 40 percent of the country and 6.6 million people were affected by the earthquake and aftershocks that hit the country around Saturday noon. The earthquake also caused an avalanche in the Himalayas and as many as 17 bodies have been recovered from the Mount Everest base camp with 60 people being injured.

More than 60 earthquake-related deaths were reported from parts of India (mainly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) and about 20 from Tibet. Authorities in these states as well as West Bengal, Delhi and Sikkim are trying to assess the damage even though the intensity of the quake was much less in these two countries.

The Indian government has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the earthquake. Meanwhile, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those who died in the quake. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has offered Rs 2 lakh as compensation to those who died.

Over 2,000 Indians trapped in the tragedy were rescued from Nepal capital Kathmandu and other parts. The ministry of external affairs has, meanwhile, come up with a 24-hour control room for queries regarding the earthquake and survivors.

Numbers:

+91 11 2301 2113

+91 11 2301 4104

+91 11 2301 7905

 
Amidst the continuing aftershocks, people in Nepal and border areas of Bihar spent Saturday and Sunday nights under makeshift tents. Rescue operation was hindered by landslides on mountain roads to remote villages near the epicenter in Pokhara.

The US geological survey has predicted more aftershocks in the coming months. According to its website, 3-14 aftershocks of more than 5 magnitude on the Richter scale are expected in the coming days. It says that there is a 54% chance of a magnitude 6 or greater aftershock. It further added that in the following month and then the following year, USGS expects several magnitude 5 and greater aftershocks, with a significant chance of magnitude 6 and greater aftershock (greater than 50 per cent).

Read more about aftershocks here

People and truckloads of relief material made their way to Nepal from India as almost all Indian telecom operators announced concessional rates for calls to Nepal.

 

Comments

 

Other News

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Wired for good: Building sustainable cities with AI

The First Industrial Revolution in the 18th-19th centuries ushered in a paradigm shift in how cities were imagined. Fueled by railways, factories and grids, and obsessed with speed and scale, it was an ode to efficiency, which spurred unprecedented economic growth. Now, as the Fourth Industrial Revolutio

How social media is reshaping elections

Since Brazil’s return to direct presidential elections in 1985, no candidate who finished second in the first round of polling had ever won the presidency. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now 81, has just done it. What explains the comeback, and what changed in Brazilian politics to make it possi

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter