The death toll resulting from a powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Nepal has now reached 128, according to government officials. The earthquake, which occurred on Friday night at 11:47 PM, primarily affected the Jajarkot and Rukum West districts. In addition to the fatalities, 140 individuals have been reported injured, as per Nepal Police spokesman Kuber Kadayat.
The ongoing rescue operations have encountered challenges due to damaged bridges and blocked roads resulting from landslides triggered by the earthquake, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach some affected areas.
The depth of the earthquake is between 10 to 15 km, and an additional four aftershocks above magnitude 4.0 have been recorded by Saturday morning, according to Lok Bijay Adhikari from Nepal's National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre.
"The aftershocks continue," he added.
The Nepali government is focusing on the rescue and treatment of the injured after the earthquake.
"The rescue and treatment of the injured is the first priority," Home Ministry spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told Xinhua.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal went to the affected area on Saturday morning along with health workers, and helicopters were being mobilised for the rescue operation, he said.
"We have not yet taken details about houses and other infrastructure damaged as the focus is to rescue," said Bhattarai.
Nepal has experienced several significant earthquakes in recent years. In October, the Dhading district in central Nepal was shaken by three earthquakes with magnitudes exceeding 4.0, and one of them measured 6.1 in magnitude.
One of the most devastating earthquakes in Nepal's recent history occurred in 2015 when a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck, resulting in the loss of approximately 9,000 lives and causing extensive damage to over half a million houses in the Himalayan nation. These events underscore the seismic risks faced by the region and the importance of preparedness and response measures.
(With Agency Inputs)
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