Nepal earthquakes kills at least 128, officials fear toll could rise

At least 128 people were killed and dozens other were injured in Nepal when a strong earthquake struck the western area of Jajarkot, officials said on Saturday. The houses and buildings in the region collapsed and the tremors were felt in as far as New Delhi, in neighbouring India.

The 6.4 magnitude of quake occurred at 11.47 pm on Friday in Nepal’s National Seismological Centre said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences measured the quake at 5.7 downgrading from 6.2, while the US Geological Survey pegged it at 5.6.

This has been registered as the deadliest earthquake since 2015, when around 9,000 people were killed in two earthquakes in the Himalayan country. Then it had caused the economy of $6 million as more than a million houses were destroyed. Whole towns, centuries-old temples and other historic sites were reduced to rubble.

Officials have suggested that the death toll post Friday’s quake might rise as they have not yet been able to establish contact in the hilly area near the epicentre, which is around 500 km west of the capital Kathmandu, where tremors were also felt. The district has a population of 190,000 with villages scattered in remote hills.