A devastating earthquake struck a remote region in northwestern Nepal overnight on Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 157 lives and causing extensive damage to numerous structures, with the possibility of the death toll rising, according to the police and officials.
The earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 5.6, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), originated approximately 42 kilometers (around 26 miles) from Jumla, Nepal, situated in Karnali province. Striking at a relatively shallow depth of 18 kilometers, the tremors were felt as far away as India’s capital, New Delhi.
Nepal’s police spokesperson, Kuber Kadayat, told CNN on Saturday that the current focus is solely on search and rescue operations. As a result, a precise assessment of the number of collapsed and damaged houses and infrastructure has not yet been determined. However, in some villages, an estimated 90% of houses have reportedly collapsed.
Kadayat confirmed that 157 individuals have been tragically killed, and 170 others sustained injuries, marking this earthquake as the deadliest since the devastating quake of 2015.
In the Jajarkot district, located near the epicenter of the quake, 105 casualties were reported, along with 55 injuries. In the nearby Rukum West district, 52 people lost their lives, and 85 were injured, as stated by Kadayat. A devastating earthquake
Heartbreaking footage from Reuters depicted numerous homes reduced to rubble and debris in Jajarkot, highlighting the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake.