KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Rescue workers in Nepal have commenced manual digging through the debris of collapsed houses on Saturday, searching for survivors following the country’s most devastating earthquake in the past eight years, which claimed 137 lives and shook buildings as far as New Delhi.
The earthquake occurred at 11:47 p.m. (1802 GMT) on Friday in the Jajarkot region of the western Himalayan nation. The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.4 according to Nepal’s National Seismological Centre, while the German Research Centre for Geosciences measured it at 5.7 and the U.S. Geological Survey at 5.6.
Authorities express concerns about the potential increase in the death toll, as the initial responders only reached the hilly area near the epicenter, located 500 km (300 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu, on Saturday morning and had just commenced the search for survivors.
“The number of injuries could be in the hundreds, and the death toll may rise as well,” said Harish Chandra Sharma, an official from the Jajarkot district, in a phone interview with Reuters.
Despite the earthquake’s relatively moderate magnitude, officials expect significant damage and loss of life due to the poor quality of construction in the area and the fact that it occurred while people were sleeping.
Rescue efforts are expected to progress slowly as emergency teams need to clear roads blocked by landslides in multiple locations. Helicopters and small planes have been put on standby to help with the rescue operation.
This earthquake is the deadliest since 2015, when two earthquakes claimed the lives of approximately 9,000 people. In addition to the loss of life, the destruction of entire towns, centuries-old temples, and other historic sites resulted in the destruction of over a million houses, causing $6 billion in economic losses.
Authorities report that 99 people were killed in Jajarkot, and 38 in the neighboring Rukum West district, both located in the Karnali province. The village of Ramidanda served as the epicenter for the earthquake.
According to officials, three towns and three villages in Jajarkot, which has a population of 190,000 and scattered villages in remote hills, have been affected. Meanwhile, Rukum West witnessed 85 injuries, and Jajarkot saw 55 injuries, according to an official from the prime minister’s office.
“Many houses have collapsed and many others have developed cracks. Thousands of residents spent the entire night in cold, open grounds because they were too scared to stay in the cracked houses as aftershocks struck,” said Sharma. “I have myself not been able to go in.”
Local TV channels aired footage of rescuers using their bare hands to search for survivors in the rubble of collapsed houses. Additionally, injured individuals were shown being transported by rescue helicopters to hospitals.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived in the area early Saturday morning with a 16-member army medical team to oversee search, rescue, and relief efforts, as stated by his office.
The prime minister’s office appealed to political parties, social workers, and the public to contribute funds to provide food, water, clothing, and tents for the survivors.
An airplane carrying medical supplies and health workers was redirected to Surkhet, which is close to Rukum district, due to adverse weather conditions preventing it from landing in Chaurjahari, as relayed by army spokesman Krishna Bhandari.
Local media coverage showcased collapsed multi-story brick houses and scattered furniture. Videos showed people evacuating the buildings and running into the streets.
The tremors were felt as far as New Delhi, approximately 600 km (370 miles) away, as well as other parts of northern India. The shaking of buildings caused people to seek safety outside during the late hours of the night.
Authorities in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which share borders with Nepal, reported no damages or injuries.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and destruction in Nepal. In a post on X, he wrote, “India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to provide any assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; Additional reporting by Saurabh Sharma in LUCKNOW, India; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by William Mallard)
