KATHMANDU, Nepal — A powerful earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, rocked northwestern Nepal on Friday night, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Officials have confirmed that at least 69 people have lost their lives in the disaster, with dozens more injured.
The earthquake struck just before midnight, catching many people off guard as they were sound asleep. The impact of the tremors was also felt in New Delhi, the capital of India, several hundred miles away.
Efforts to rescue survivors from the affected mountainous villages are currently underway. However, officials have expressed concern that the death toll is likely to rise. Communication has been severed in many of the affected areas, hampering rescue and relief efforts.
One of the hardest-hit districts is Rukum, where the earthquake claimed the lives of at least 35 people. Numerous houses collapsed, leaving the residents trapped. Narvaraj Bhattarai, a police official, confirmed that 30 injured individuals have been rushed to the hospital for treatment.
In the neighboring Jajarkot District, authorities have confirmed the deaths of 34 individuals, according to government official Harish Chandra Sharma.
The Nepal National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center recorded the magnitude of the earthquake as 6.4. Its epicenter was located in Jajarkot, within the Karnali Province, approximately 310 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu.
Suresh Sunar, a district official, informed Reuters that at least 20 individuals have been hospitalized with injuries in Jajarkot. He added, “I am out in the open myself. We are gathering information, but the cold weather and darkness make it challenging to obtain details from remote areas. We have deployed rescue teams to assist.”
Earthquakes are a frequent occurrence in the mountainous region of Nepal. In 2015, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of approximately 9,000 individuals and caused extensive damage to over a million structures.