157 killed as strong earthquake jolts Nepal

Kathmandu: At least 157 people were killed and over 160 others injured when a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake, the worst since 2015, struck Nepal and destroyed hundreds of houses in the Himalayan nation’s remote mountainous region, officials said on Saturday.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the earthquake with an epicentre in Jajarkot district, about 500km west of Kathmandu, was recorded at 11:47 pm on Friday.

Friday’s earthquake is the most devastating one in Nepal since the 2015 earthquake that killed around 9,000 people and injured more than 22,000 others. The impact of the quake was felt in Kathmandu and surrounding districts, and even in New Delhi in neighbouring India.

The Nepal Army has mobilised its personnel to carry out rescue work in the quake-hit areas, according to Nepal Army spokesperson Krishna Prasad Bhandari. Rescue workers on Saturday dug through the rubble of collapsed houses to find survivors.

Many people spent the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses. People were seen digging through the rubble to rescue trapped people from the remains of collapsed buildings, according to posts on social media. As the roads were blocked and bridges damaged, rescue and relief work at the quake-hit sites have been obstructed, according to officials.