Massive Earthquake Kills More Than 150 People In Nepal
The injured were being treated outside hospitals in chaotic scenes. Residents, terrorized by a series of strong aftershocks, huddled outdoors. Historic buildings in Kathmandu lay in rubble on the ground.
The worst quake to hit the impoverished Himalayan nation in 81 years also caused damage in neighboring Indian states and Bangladesh. The quake was shallow, intensifying the amount of energy released over a relatively small area.
A police spokesman said the death toll had reached 449 in Nepal according to an initial estimate, most from the Kathmandu Valley.
There was little information coming from the outlying areas of the mountainous country and helicopters were circling overheard to get a better sense of the damage.
"Hundreds of people are feared dead and there are reports of widespread damage to property. The devastation is not confined to some areas of Nepal. Almost the entire country has been hit," said Krishna Prasad Dhakal, deputy chief of mission at Nepal’s Embassy in New Delhi.
A tourism official said eight people were killed by an avalanche unleashed by the earthquake that swept through the Everest Base Camp for climbers of the world's highest mountain.
"The toll could go up, it may include foreigners as well as sherpas," Gyanendra Shrestha said.
A collapse in communications was hampering efforts to launch relief efforts across Nepal's rugged terrain.
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