Death Toll Still Rising as Relief Efforts Contend with Aftershocks in Nepal

Posted on October 9, 2020

As relief and rescue efforts continue in Nepal following an earthquake which killed more than 2,200 people on Saturday, people in the region were forced to seek safety on Sunday after a substantial 6.7 magnitude aftershock hit the Himalayan nation.

According to the Associated Press:

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

In a dispatch from Nepal, Oxfam International’s in-country director Cecilia Keizer reported scenes of destruction in central portions of the country and the relief effort now underway.

“Communication is currently very difficult,” Keizer said. “Telephone lines are down and the electricity has been cut off making charging mobile phones difficult. The water is also cut off. The number of people killed is continuing to rise. Many of the old houses have been destroyed and at least one large apartment block has come down in Kathmandu. Given the closeness to the epicentre Pokhara must also be badly affected. Oxfam is preparing to help provide clean water and emergency food. People are gathered in their thousands in open spaces and are scared as there have been several aftershocks.”

The official death toll is expected to keep rising, with AP reporting available indications suggest it could do so “substantially.”

The Guardian newspaper, meanwhile, continues to offer rolling coverage and updates on its site and offered this summary of notable developments for Sunday morning:

The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday has risen to more than 2,200. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Powerful aftershocks today between Kathmandu and Everest unleashed more avalanches in the Himalayas and caused panic in the capital, where hospital workers stretchered patients out into the street as it was too dangerous treat them indoors.
A has been declared Many historic landmarks, including the r, have been reduced to rubble following the quake.
Governments are scrambling to locate thousands of their nationals and relatives took to social media to find their loved ones. The international community has pledged support and aid packages to the stricken nation. The has said the US will pledge $1m to the aid effort and will also assist with a disaster response team. Australia has also pledged a Aus$5m aid package, while , the are all sending disaster response teams to assist in search and rescue. Pope Francis led prayers in St Peter’s Square for the dead and displaced in Nepal and surrounding areas.
The quakes caused widespread damage to Nepal’s infrastructure which has further hampered search and rescue operations. Injured climbers at , where an avalanche struck following the quake, have been flown by helicopter to receive medical treatment.

Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely.

Click Here: cheap Cowboys jersey