Earthquake toll soars to 466
Nepal bore the brunt of the calamity accounting for at least 449 deaths counted so far and the most of destruction that pulled down buildings, temples and towers, felled trees and electric posts and left yawning cracks on roads.
In India, the death count has been put at 17 as the effect of the tremor was badly felt in places like Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and the northeastern states.
The epicentre of the earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale located about 80 km northwest of Kathmandu.
Media reports quoted Nepal police as putting the toll in the country at 449.
However, the figure may rise further as searches are on for more bodies from under the rubble of collapsed structures.
The historic Dharara Tower built in the 19th century in Kathmandu collapsed, trapping at least 50 people, Nepal media reported.
The tower had been open to visitors for the last 10 years and had a viewing balcony on its eighth floor. Witnesses spoke of dead bodies being removed from the site.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Nepal counterpart Sushil Koirala over the massive earthquake that hit the Himalayan nation on Saturday.
"Spoke to PM Sushil Koirala, who is in transit in Bangkok on his way to Kathmandu. Assured all support & assistance during this tough time," Modi tweeted.
He also called chief ministers of several states to know about the situation following a major earthquake that jolted the country on Saturday.
Modi convened a high level meeting with Ministers and top officials to work out agenda to reach out to the people in the affected areas.
In India, the tremor reportedly killed 17 people in different parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
"Seismicity in the Himalaya dominantly results from the continental collision of the India and Eurasia plates, which are converging at a relative rate of 40-50 mm/yr. Northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia generates numerous earthquakes and consequently makes this area one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth. The surface expression of the plate boundary is marked by the foothills of the north-south trending Sulaiman Range in the west, the Indo-Burmese Arc in the east and the east-west trending Himalaya Front in the north of India," USGS website said.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has called the earthquake as 'great'. From Rajasthan to Delhi to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Northeast, people everywhere in northern to eastern India felt the tremors for nearly a minute.
Mountaineer Alex Gavan tweeted from Mount Pumori, about 8 km west of Mount Everest, that the quake had caused an avalanche on Everest.
"Everest base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche from pumori. Running for life from my tent. Unhurt. Many many people up the mountain," tweeted Gavan
Anita Saha, Associate Teaching Professor at Tribhuvan University in Nepal said, "We felt it in Nepalgunj. The tremors were quite strong. I don't know about the damages caused in my city so far."
In Kolkata, buildings were shaking and many panic stricken people rushed outside.
Similar scenes were scene in Delhi and Patna and other parts of India
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
