Source: AFP / Getty
Tragic earthquake in Nepal killed over 1,100 people with a 7.8 magnitude.
Death Toll Rises Over 1,100 After Earthquake Strike Nepal, South Asia
Our prayers are with the people in Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, India and surrounding South Asian regions devastated by one of the worst earthquakes to ever strike the area.
According to NY Post reports:
A powerful earthquake struck Nepal Saturday, killing at least 1,180 people across a swath of four countries as the violently shaking earth collapsed houses, leveled centuries-old temples and triggered avalanches on Mt. Everest.
It was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years.
At least 1,130 people were confirmed dead across Nepal, according to the police. Another 34 were killed in India, 12 in Tibet and two in Bangladesh.
Two Chinese citizens died in the Nepal-China border. The death toll is almost certain to rise, said deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam.
It was a few minutes before noon when the quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8, began to rumble across the densely populated Kathmandu Valley, rippling through the capital Kathmandu and spreading in all directions — north toward the Himalayas and Tibet, south to the Indo-Gangetic plains, east toward the Brahmaputra delta of Bangladesh and west toward the historical city of Lahore in Pakistan.
A magnitude-6.6 aftershock hit about an hour later, and at least 16 aftershocks continued to jolt the region for hours. Residents ran out of homes and buildings in panic. Walls tumbled, trees swayed, power lines came crashing down and large cracks opened up on streets and walls.
“Our village has been almost wiped out. Most of the houses are either buried by landslide or damaged by shaking,” said Vim Tamang, a resident of Manglung village near the epicenter. He said half of the village folks are either missing or dead. “All the villagers have gathered in the open area. We don’t know what to do. We are feeling helpless,” he said when contacted by telephone.
So sad… Natural disasters always leave us feeling so helpless. If you’re able to donate any funds or assistance to disaster relief, please help these people out. Our prayers are definitely with Nepal right now.
