In a recent report by New York Times, it was was reported that the death toll from the powerful earthquake and aftershocks is now at over 2,400 with at least 5,900 people injured. Yesterday, BBC News had reported that a powerful earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale rocked Nepal on Saturday, 25th April, resulting in the death of over 1,000 people at the time of the report.
The earthquake epicenter is between the capital Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara in Nepal. BBC reported that the tremor also affected the Mount Everest region and triggered avalanche at the popular tourist hiking destination and there are unconfirmed numbers of casualties in the Everest area as well.
The were also casualties in India and Bangladesh, especially those that lived around the hilly and mountainous fringe as massive avalanches were reported in many areas.
The US will be sending a disaster response team to Nepal and has released an initial of $1m (£0.7m) to address immediate needs, according to the US aid agency USAid.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron also said the UK “will do all” it can to help in the aftermath of the earthquake, while French President Francois Hollande said France was ready to respond to any request for aid and assistance.
This is the worst earthquake to strike Nepal since the last one in 1934 which killed approximately 8,500 people.
Photo Credit: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters