Earthquake in Nepal

Earthquake in Nepal

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A powerful earthquake struck Nepal and sent tremors through northern India, killing thousands of people, touching off a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest and toppling a 19th-century tower in the capital Kathmandu.

There was devastation in outlying, isolated mountainous areas after the midday quake of magnitude 7.9, Nepal's worst in 81 years, centred 50 miles east of the second city, Pokhara.

. KATHMANDU, Nepal. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

Thousands of people began fleeing the capital Kathmandu, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and fearing shortages of food and water.

Roads leading out of the mountain valley city of one million were jammed with people, many with babies in their arms, trying to climb onto buses or hitch a ride aboard cars and trucks.

Huge queues had formed at Kathmandu airport with people desperate to get a flight out.

"I'm willing even to sell the gold I'm wearing to buy a ticket, but there is nothing available," said Rama Bahadur, an Indian woman who works in Nepal's capital.

. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

More than 3,700 people were killed and at least 6,500 injured in the quake. The toll is likely to rise as rescuers struggle to reach remote regions in the impoverished, mountainous country of 28 million people and as bodies buried under rubble are recovered.

The Nepali government has appealed for foreign assistance with the aftermath of the worst earthquake to hit the South Asian country since 1934 when 8,500 died.

. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

Across Kathmandu and beyond, exhausted families laid mattresses out on streets and erected tents to shelter from rain. People queued for water dispensed from the back of trucks, while the few stores still open had next to nothing on their shelves. Crowds jostled for medicine at one pharmacy.

The United Nations Childreds Fund said nearly one million children in Nepal were severely affected by the quake, and warned of waterborne and infectious diseases.

. Dhading Besi, Nepal. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The disaster has underlined the woeful state of Nepal's medical facilities.

Nepal has only 2.1 physicians and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, according to a 2011 World Health Organization report.

The sick and wounded were lying out in the open in Kathmandu, unable to find beds in the devastated city's hospitals. Surgeons set up an operating theatre inside a tent in the grounds of Kathmandu Medical College.

"We are overwhelmed with rescue and assistance requests from all across the country," said Deepak Panda, a member of the country's disaster management.

"I saw women and children lying dead as I helped pull them out of collapsed houses."
Navesh Chitrakar, Reuters Photographer

Before I am a journalist I am a human being, who has a family to look after. When the earthquake struck, my wife who is nine months pregnant, fell right in front of me.

I saw women and children lying dead as I helped pull them out of collapsed houses.

Some people shouted at me for taking pictures and their reactions were fair enough. One man told me to just help carry bricks rather than taking pictures - I did as he said, because he was right. Tears rolled down my face as I saw the bodies of the dead. Many historical sites have been reduced to debris and small earthquakes are still going on as I am typing.

My country is devastated and hurting, but people are standing up for each other.

I am numb thinking about everything. Right now I can't enter my house and am taking refuge in a school ground behind my home. My prayers are with all the Nepalese people. I don't know exactly how many people are dead or trapped but with the first light I will go and help them. I hope this ends soon.

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Slideshow

People gather near the cracks on the road caused by the earthquake.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People gather near the cracks on the road caused by the earthquake.

Rescue team member works to dig out the trapped body of a woman from a collapsed house a day after the earthquake.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

Rescue team member works to dig out the trapped body of a woman from a collapsed house a day after the earthquake.

People search for family members trapped inside collapsed houses.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People search for family members trapped inside collapsed houses.

A man cries as he walks on the street while passing through a damaged statue of Lord Buddh.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A man cries as he walks on the street while passing through a damaged statue of Lord Buddh.

A collapsed building is seen in Kathmandu.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A collapsed building is seen in Kathmandu.

People gather near a collapsed house.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People gather near a collapsed house.

The body of a victim lies trapped in the debris.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

The body of a victim lies trapped in the debris.

People carry the body of a victim from a damaged house.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People carry the body of a victim from a damaged house.

People carry the body of a victim.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People carry the body of a victim.

A woman mourns the death of a family member.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A woman mourns the death of a family member.

A boy cries over the body of his father at a cremation ground.
. BHAKTAPUR, Nepal. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A boy cries over the body of his father at a cremation ground.

People cremate the bodies of victims of the quake.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People cremate the bodies of victims of the quake.

A boy lies down in an open ground to keep safe.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A boy lies down in an open ground to keep safe.

People queue with their motorcycles in front of a petrol pump.
. Bhaktapur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

People queue with their motorcycles in front of a petrol pump.

A family carry their belongings as they rush for safety during a strong aftershock.
. KATHMANDU, Nepal. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A family carry their belongings as they rush for safety during a strong aftershock.

Doctors attend to a boy who was injured during the earthquake, at a trauma centre in Kathmandu.
. KATHMANDU, Nepal. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Doctors attend to a boy who was injured during the earthquake, at a trauma centre in Kathmandu.

An injured boy sleeps on the ground outside the overcrowded Dhading hospital.
. Dhading Besi, Nepal. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

An injured boy sleeps on the ground outside the overcrowded Dhading hospital.

A woman receives medical treatment.
. Dhading Besi, Nepal. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A woman receives medical treatment.