After a strong earthquake hit western Nepal at the foothills of the Himalayas, rescue workers began digging and searching for survivors with both hands in the rubble of houses that collapsed in the earthquake early Saturday (November 4th). The number of victims killed by the earthquake has increased to at least 157.
According to a report released by the Nepal National Earthquake Center, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Jajarkot region of western Nepal at 11:47 pm local time on Friday night. The earthquake was clearly felt in the capital city of Kathmandu, and even buildings as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi shook.
The German Geological Science Research Center measured the magnitude of the earthquake to be 5.7, while the US Geological Survey measured the magnitude to be 5.6. This is the most severe earthquake disaster that Nepal has encountered in the past eight years.
Reuters reported that due to the epicenter being about 500 kilometers away from Kathmandu, rescue workers arrived in the disaster area early Saturday and began search and rescue work. Nepalese officials are concerned that the number of victims may continue to rise.
The number of injured people may be in the hundreds, and the number of deaths may also increase, "an official from the Zazel'gode region said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
When the earthquake occurred, local communication facilities were damaged, and communication between the disaster area and the outside world was temporarily interrupted. But communication has been gradually resuming since Saturday.
The epicenter areas of the earthquake were all mountain villages, and the surviving villagers immediately fled from their houses after the first wave of the earthquake, enduring a difficult night in the open air far from the buildings. They were worried that there would be aftershocks in the area.
The New York Times quoted another official from the Zazelgoed area as saying that a local hospital was crowded with injured people, so medical staff could only provide treatment to the injured from balconies and corridors.
Nepalese officials say that although the magnitude of the earthquake is not high, due to the poor quality of local buildings and houses, and the earthquake occurring while people are sleeping, the losses will be severe, and the death toll will also be high.
Reuters quoted officials as saying that rescue and search efforts may progress slowly as landslides caused by the earthquake have blocked many roads and places. Rescue workers need to first remove soil, stones, and other obstacles from the roads before they can pass.
Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal stated in a statement that he has ordered the Nepal military and police forces to urgently mobilize and prepare to immediately engage in rescue operations.
Nepalese officials also stated that helicopters and small aircraft have been required to be prepared and ready to participate in rescue work at any time.
This is the deadliest earthquake in Nepal since a 7.8 magnitude catastrophic earthquake occurred in 2015. In the two consecutive earthquakes that occurred in 2015, approximately 9000 people died in the earthquake. The entire town, temples with hundreds of years of history, and other historical sites have been reduced to ruins, with 100 night houses destroyed and economic losses reaching up to $6 billion.