The earthquake struck the Jajarkot district late on Friday night, causing brick houses to crumble to the ground.
A powerful earthquake in the western region of Nepal has resulted in at least 119 fatalities and left around 100 individuals injured. The shallow quake occurred at 11:47 pm (18:02 GMT) on Friday in the vicinity of Jajarkot, a hilly district situated approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) to the west of the capital, Kathmandu. Jajarkot is home to about 190,000 residents.
The US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6, and it was remarkably shallow, at just 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep.
The tremors were strong enough to be felt as far away as Kathmandu and even extended approximately 600 kilometers (375 miles) to the Indian capital, New Delhi.
According to Karnali Province police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai, the death toll has climbed to 119, with at least 100 individuals sustaining injuries, as reported by the AFP news agency.
Harish Chandra Sharma, a local official in Jajarkot, stated that at least 34 people had lost their lives in his district. In the neighboring Rukum West district, police official Namaraj Bhattarai confirmed at least 35 casualties.
Bhattarai further explained that rescue and search teams were facing challenges in reaching the affected areas due to blocked roads caused by dry landslides triggered by the earthquake.
On social media platform X, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal conveyed his profound sorrow regarding the human and physical devastation caused by the earthquake. He promptly instructed security agencies to initiate rescue and relief efforts. The earthquake struck
Footage from local media depicted the shattered exteriors of brick houses, along with significant pieces of furniture strewn across the ground.
Local authorities revealed that they had encountered challenges in establishing contact with areas close to the epicenter in Ramidanda.