Fatal earthquake strikes north-western Nepal, killing 128, injuring scores
Date
11/7/2023 6:24:21 AM
(MENAFN) A powerful earthquake, occurring just before midnight on Friday in north-western Nepal, has claimed the lives of a minimum of 128 individuals and left numerous others injured, according to officials on Saturday.
Rescue helicopters have been dispatched to the affected area, while on the ground, security forces are engaged in the challenging task of extricating survivors and retrieving the deceased from the debris, as reported by Kuber Kadayat, a spokesperson for Nepal police.
Given the severed communications with several locations, authorities anticipate that the death toll will increase significantly.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, troops are working tirelessly to clear blocked roads and mountain trails, which had been rendered impassable by landslides triggered by the seismic event. Medical workers and essential medicines are being airlifted to the local hospitals via helicopters.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived by helicopter along with a team of doctors to provide aid and assistance. Notably, Mr. Dahal had led an armed communist revolt from 1996 to 2006, which had its origins in the very districts now affected by the earthquake.
The district closest to the earthquake's epicenter, Jajarkot, reported 92 confirmed fatalities and 55 individuals with injuries, according to Mr. Kadayat. In the neighboring Rukum district, where houses collapsed, at least 36 people lost their lives, and a minimum of 85 injured individuals were transported to the local hospital.
The regional hospital in Nepalgunj city has prepared over 100 hospital beds and deployed teams of doctors to assist those who have been injured.
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