Death toll rises to 157 as devastating earthquake hits Nepal; India expresses solidarity

The death toll after a strong earthquake struck Nepal, on Friday night (Nov 3) climbed to at least 157, according to media reports. The tremors of the earthquake were felt in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and some other states of north India, the National Centre for Seismology said.

There have also been multiple reports about the magnitude of the earthquake. Nepal’s National Seismological Centre said the quake had a magnitude of 6.4, similar to India’s National Centre for Seismology which also reported a magnitude of 6.4. 

However, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) later downgraded the magnitude to 5.7 and the United States Geological Survey Geological Survey pegged it as a magnitude 5.6.

Indian PM Narendra Modi on Saturday (Nov 4) expressed solidarity with Nepal through a post on X. 

Jajarkot local official Harish Chandra Sharma told Reuters that at least 34 people had been killed in his district while in neighbouring Rukum West district, police official Namaraj Bhattarai said at least 35 deaths had been reported.

“Rescue and search teams have to clear roads blocked by dry landslides due to the earthquake to reach the affected areas,” Bhattarai told Reuters.

At least 20 people were rushed to hospital with injuries, Jajarkot district official Suresh Sunar told Reuters by phone. “I am out in the open myself. We are collecting details but due to cold and night it is difficult to get information from remote areas,” he told the news agency.

The death toll is expected to rise, officials told the AP, noting that communications were cut off with many villages. 

Sharma told AP, that security officials were working with villagers in the darkness to pull the dead and injured from fallen houses, adding that some sites were difficult to reach because some of the trails were blocked by landslides triggered by the tremor and its aftershocks.

‘Deep sorrow’

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal took to X and expressed "deep sorrow" at the loss of life and property in the quake and ordered security agencies to launch immediate rescue and relief operations.  

Earthquake shook buildings in New Delhi

Images and videos show that the earthquake shook buildings as far as the Indian capital New Delhi, which is more than 600 kilometres away. People immediately rushed out of their houses as the strong tremors reverberated through parts of north India and lasted for over a minute. 
 

(With inputs from agencies)