Kathmandu: Scores of people died and a number of structures destroyed in a massive earthquake that rocked Jajarkot and Rukum districts of Western Nepal late on Friday November 03, 2023.
According to the latest figures released by the local authorities, as many as 128 people have died and 140 others have sustained injuries in the earthquake that shook the remote region of western Nepal.
Locals were filmed digging through rubble in the dark of night, searching for survivors in the wreckage of collapsed homes and buildings.
Several houses collapsed and damaged, as survivors rush outside in panic, surrounded by the wail of emergency sirens.
The earthquake was so powerful that its tremors were felt in the Indian capital New Delhi, over 500 kilometres away.
At least 36 people have been confirmed dead in Rukum West, and 34 in Jajarkot.
"At least 36 people have been confirmed dead in Rukum West, and the toll is expected to rise further This is the update we have been able to get till 5 am (local time)," Hari Prasad Pant, the Chief District Officer of Rukum West told ANI.
Three more tremors were felt within an hour of the quake, and many people have spent the rest of the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses, according to BBC.
The earthquake was recorded at 23:47 local time (18:02 GMT), according to Nepal's Monitoring and Research Centre.
The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6, and said it was a shallow earthquake, meaning it happened closer to the earth's surface.
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