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Nepal earthquake kills at least 69

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KATHMANDU - At least 69 people were killed and dozens injured in Nepal on Friday when a strong earthquake struck the western area of Jajarkot, with witnesses saying houses in the area collapsed and buildings as far as New Delhi, India, shook.

Nepal's National Seismological Centre said the quake was a magnitude 6.4 but the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) later downgraded the magnitude to 5.7 and the US Geological Survey pegged it as a magnitude 5.6.


Local officials said it had not been possible to establish contact in the area near the epicentre in Jajarkot, a hilly district with a population of 190,000 and villages scattered in remote hills.


Jajarkot local official Harish Chandra Sharma said at least 34 people had been killed in his district while in neighbouring Rukum West district, police official Namaraj Bhattarai said at least 35 deaths had been reported.


"Rescue and search teams have to clear roads blocked by dry landslides due to the earthquake to reach the affected areas," Bhattarai said.


Ramidanda, where the epicentre lies, has not been reached by authorities yet.


Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed deep sorrow at the loss of life and property in the quake and ordered security agencies to launch immediate rescue and relief operations, in a post on social media X, formerly known as Twitter.


At least 20 people were rushed to hospital with injuries, Jajarkot district official Suresh Sunar told Reuters by phone.


"I am out in the open myself. We are collecting details but due to cold and night it is difficult to get information from remote areas," he told Reuters.


Nepal's National Seismological Centre said the quake occurred at 11:47 pm (1802 GMT) in Jajarkot district of Karnali province. Jajarkot is about 500km west of the capital Kathmandu.


Local media footage showed crumbled facades of multi-storied brick houses, with large pieces of furniture scattered.



Tremors were felt in neighbouring districts and as far away as Kathmandu, residents said.


"Houses have collapsed. People rushed out of their homes. I am out in the crowd of terrified residents. We are trying to find details of damages," police official Santosh Rokka told Reuters by phone.


The earthquake shook buildings as far as New Delhi, about 600 km (375 miles) away, according to Reuters witnesses. Videos on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showed people running into the street as some buildings were evacuated.


In 2015, about 9,000 people were killed in two earthquakes in Nepal. Whole towns, centuries-old temples and other historic sites were reduced to rubble, with more than a million houses destroyed, at a cost to the economy of US$6 billion (S$8b).


Source: Reuters


尼泊尔地震造成至少69人死亡


加德满都 - 周五,尼泊尔贾加科特西部地区发生强烈地震,造成至少 69 人死亡、数十人受伤,目击者称该地区房屋倒塌,远至印度新德里的建筑物都在摇晃。


尼泊尔国家地震中心表示,此次地震为里氏 6.4 级,但德国地球科学研究中心 (GFZ) 随后将震级下调至 5.7 级,美国地质调查局将地震定级为 5.6 级。


当地官员表示,无法在震中附近的贾加科特地区建立联系,贾加科特是一个丘陵地区,人口有 19 万,村庄分散在偏远的山上。


Jajarkot 当地官员 Harish Chandra Sharma 表示,该地区至少有 34 人死亡,而邻近的 Rukum West 地区,警察官员 Namaraj Bhattarai 表示,据报道至少有 35 人死亡。


巴特拉伊说: “救援和搜索队必须清理因地震而被干燥山体滑坡堵塞的道路,才能到达受影响地区。”


当局尚未到达震中所在的拉米达达。


总理普什帕·卡迈勒·达哈尔在社交媒体 X(以前称为 Twitter)上发帖,对地震中造成的生命和财产损失表示深切哀悼,并命令安全机构立即开展救援行动。


贾雅科特地区官员苏雷什·苏纳尔 (Suresh Sunar) 在电话中告诉路透社,至少有 20 人受伤被送往医院。


“我自己就在户外。我们正在收集详细信息,但由于寒冷和夜晚,很难从偏远地区获取信息,”他告诉路透社。


尼泊尔国家地震中心表示,地震于晚上 11:47(格林威治标准时间 1802)发生在卡纳利省 Jajarkot 地区。 贾加科特位于首都加德满都以西约 500 公里处。


当地媒体的镜头显示,多层砖房的外墙已倒塌,大件家具散落一地。


居民称,邻近地区以及远至加德满都都有震感。


警官桑托什·罗卡(Santosh Rokka)通过电话告诉路透社: “房屋倒塌了。人们纷纷逃离家园。我在惊恐的居民人群中。我们正在努力查找损失的详细信息。”


据路透社目击者称,地震震动的建筑物远至约 600 公里(375 英里)外的新德里。 社交媒体平台 X(以前称为 Twitter)上的视频显示,一些建筑物被疏散时,人们跑到街上。


2015年,尼泊尔两次地震造成约9000人死亡。 整个城镇、具有数百年历史的寺庙和其他历史遗迹都化为废墟,超过一百万栋房屋被毁,经济损失达 60 亿美元(8 亿新元)。

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