More than 2,000 confirmed dead in quake

At least 2,152 people are now confirmed dead in the massive earthquake that hit just outside Kathmandu, an official in Nepal said today.

More than 2,000 confirmed dead in quake

At least 2,152 people are now confirmed dead in the massive earthquake that hit just outside Kathmandu, an official in Nepal said today.

Deputy inspector general of police Komal Singh Bam gave no further details.

Saturday’s 7.8 magnitude quake struck Nepal before noon and was most severely felt in the capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley. Aftershocks are rippling through the region today, spreading fear and panic.

The biggest of the aftershocks was magnitude 6.7 and sent people yelling and running for open ground.

The latest major aftershock came as plane-loads of supplies, doctors and relief workers from neighbouring countries and elsewhere began arriving in Nepal.

“The aftershocks keep coming... so people don’t know what to expect,” said Sanjay Karki of global aid agency Mercy Corps. “All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying.”

Saturday’s quake spread horror from Kathmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers preparing to make their summit attempts. At least 17 people died there and 61 were injured.

It destroyed swaths of the oldest neighbourhoods of Kathmandu, and was strong enough to be felt across parts of India, Bangladesh, China’s region of Tibet and Pakistan.

At least 721 people died in Kathmandu alone, and the number of injured nationwide was upward of 5,000. With search and rescue efforts far from over, it is unclear how much the death toll may rise by.

Outside of the oldest neighbourhoods, many in Kathmandu were surprised by how few modern structures – the city is largely a collection of small, poorly constructed brick apartment buildings – collapsed in the quake. While aid workers cautioned that many buildings could have sustained serious structural damage, it was also clear that the death toll would have been far higher had more buildings caved in.

On a flight into Kathmandu this morning, one reporter said they were unable to spot any collapsed buildings.

Aid workers also warned that the situation could be far worse near the epicentre. The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred near Lamjung, about 50 miles north-west of Kathmandu in the Gorkha district.

The scene at Everest base camp as people are evacuated. Pic: Azim Afif

Roads to that area are blocked by landslides, hindering rescue teams, said chief district official Prakash Subedi. Teams are trekking through mountain trails to reach remote villages, and helicopters will also be deployed.

The aid group World Vision said in a statement that remote mountain communities, including in Gorkha, were totally unprepared for the level of destruction caused by the earthquake.

Villages near the epicentre “are literally perched on the sides of large mountain faces and are made from simple stone and rock construction”. Many of these villages are only accessible by 4x4 and then foot, with some villages hours and even entire days’ walks away from main roads.

The group’s local staff member Matt Darvas said he has heard many of the villages may have been completely buried by rock falls.

“It will likely be helicopter access only for these remote villages,” he said.

With people fearing more quakes, tens of thousands of Nepalese spent Saturday night outside under chilly skies, or in cars and public buses. They were jolted awake by strong aftershocks early today.

“There were at least three big quakes at night and early morning. How can we feel safe? This is never-ending and everyone is scared and worried,” said Kathmandu resident Sundar Sah. “I hardly got much sleep. I was waking up every few hours and glad that I was alive.”

As day broke, rescuers aided by international teams set out to dig through rubble of buildings – concrete slabs, bricks, iron beams, wood – to look for survivors.

In the Kalanki neighbourhood of Kathmandu, police rescuers finally extricated a man lying under a dead person, both of them buried beneath a pile of concrete slabs and iron beams. Before his rescue, his family members stood nearby, crying and praying. Police said the man’s legs and hips were totally crushed.

Hundreds of people in Kalanki gathered around the collapsed Lumbini Guest House, once a three-storey budget hotel and restaurant frequented by Nepalese. They watched with fear and anticipation as a single backhoe dug into the rubble.

Police officer RP Dhamala, who is co-ordinating the rescue efforts, said they had already pulled out 12 people alive and six dead. He said rescuers are still searching for about 20 people believed to be trapped, but had heard no cries, taps or noises for a while.

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