Aftershocks Spread Fear in Nepal, Death Toll Over 3000

Local Editor

At least 3,326 people were now known to have died in a massive earthquake which hit Nepal on Saturday, said officials; and more than 6,500 people had been injured, according to the National Emergency Operation Center.

Furthermore, dozens of people were also reported to have been killed in neighboring China and India. Thousands had spent a second night outside after the 7.8-magnitude quake, which also triggered deadly avalanches on Mount Everest.

Hence, vast tent cities had sprung up in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, for those displaced or afraid to return to their homes as strong aftershocks continue.

"We don't have a choice, our house is shaky. The rain is seeping in but what can we do?" 34-year-old shopkeeper Rabi Shrestha, who was sleeping by the roadside with his family said.

Moreover, efforts to dig victims out from under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu were also continuing.

But home ministry official Laxmi Prasad Dhakal declared that rescuers were "in a really bad shape" after working non-stop for two days. "We are all about to collapse."

Meanwhile, officials had warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams reach remote mountainous areas of western Nepal.

Initial reports suggested that many communities - especially those close to mountainsides - suffered significant quake damage.

In a parallel notion, hundreds of Nepalese were fleeing the capital Kathmandu for the plains on Monday, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks following a massive earthquake and faced with shortages of food and water.

In a like manner, 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.

Many said they had slept in the open since Saturday's quake, either because their homes were flattened or they were terrified that the aftershocks would bring them crashing down.

Though, several countries rushed to send aid and personnel, but there had been little sign of international assistance on the ground so far, with some aid flights prevented from landing by aftershocks that closed Kathmandu's main airport several times on Sunday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team